NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: EPISODE 5 – “Rhythm of the Rift”
[COLD OPEN – TV STUDIO INTERVIEW]
Bright lights. A cheerful host. Mei sits in her full idol attire, camera-ready and smiling — but her eyes twitch, like she hasn't slept.
HOST
"Tell us, Mei-chan! What's it like being Tokyo's #1 sweetheart and superhero?"
MEI (fake laugh)
"Haha, it's great! Really! Nothing scary at all about glowing rifts or mirror monsters!"
Audience laughs. A red "APPLAUSE" sign lights up. But Mei's smile flickers as she glances at her reflection in the camera lens…
CAMERA REFLECTION (distorted)
"…Do they love you, or the image of you?"
Her eyes widen — but the reflection vanishes.
[INT. SHRINE BASE – SAME NIGHT]
AIRI (concerned)
"She hasn't slept. She's forcing herself into public appearances again."
RIKA
"That mirror witch messed with her too. Hard. We all heard the 'love me' breakdown she had last fight…"
AIRI
"She's hiding it. Mei always hides it."
[INT. LUXURY HOTEL PENTHOUSE – NIGHT]
Mei enters her solo suite. Glamorous. Isolated. Her awards line the walls.
She slips off her boots and falls back onto a velvet couch. Her smile disappears. The room feels too silent.
MEI (softly)
"…Do they even know me?"
She reaches for her phone. A thousand notifications. Fan tweets. Endorsement requests. Tour dates.
MEI (muttering)
"More, more, more… But no one asks if I'm okay."
A mirror behind her suddenly glows with sigils.
[INT. MIRROR REALM – PULLED IN]
The glass ripples, pulling Mei backward into the mirror. She lands in a twisted concert hall — walls of glass, audience made of reflections.
A spotlight shines on her. A mic floats down.
MORGAN LE FAY (echoing from the rafters)
"Sing, darling idol. Show us who you really are."
Mirror versions of fans begin to chant.
"Fake! Fake! FAKE!"
MEI AINO (angrily)
"I'm not fake! I protect people!"
A twisted version of herself walks out on stage. Her outfit glows too bright, her smile too wide.
🪞 VILLAIN REVEAL: MIRROR STARRHYTHM
Face: Cracked like porcelain under her eyes
Outfit: Glamorous, over-accessorized, with chains of applause screens
Voice: Echoed and auto-tuned to mockery
MIRROR STARRHYTHM
"You're nothing without applause. You know it. You'd crumble in silence."
[INT. SHRINE BASE – DETECTION]
Airi senses it immediately.
AIRI
"The rift took Mei."
RIKA
"Then we're going in. Now."
[MIRROR CONCERT HALL – BATTLE BEGINS]
Mei stands center stage. The crowd of mirror fans starts booing. The walls pulse with every insult.
MIRROR STARRHYTHM
"Here's your final number: 'The Lonely Echo.'"
She launches a flurry of soundwave attacks — mocking versions of Mei's real moves, but corrupted with piercing static.
Mei dodges and counters, her movements glitching as her confidence shakes.
[FLASHBACK SEQUENCE – MONTAGE]
Mei being praised as a child star.
Her parents absent, only managers clapping.
Her looking into a dressing room mirror, alone.
Her whispering: "I'm still here, right?"
[CLIMAX – FRIENDS ARRIVE]
Just as she's overwhelmed, a crash of claws and scrolls rip through the mirror ceiling. Rika and Airi drop in.
AIRI
"You're not performing alone tonight."
RIKA
"You don't need a crowd. You have us."
✨ POWER-UP: "REAL RHYTHM BLOOM" ✨
Mei inhales. Her heels begin pulsing in perfect synch with her true heartbeat—not the stage beat.
MEI
"My rhythm isn't just for show. It's for me."
Her outfit pulses with warm light. Her soundwaves turn into healing tones, shaking off the curses.
🌸 TRINITY COMBO: "PETAL HEART SHOCK" 🌸
Airi seals the fake audience.
Rika claws down the spotlights.
Mei dances forward, lands a heel-stomp into the stage—shattering the mirrored realm.
The whole concert hall collapses in a burst of pink petals and music notes.
[AFTERMATH – REAL WORLD]
Mei wakes up on the floor of her hotel room. Rika's holding her up, Airi standing protectively beside.
MEI (weak smile)
"…That was the worst stage of my life."
AIRI (softly)
"But your best performance."
[POST-CREDIT SCENE – MIRROR ALTAR]
Morgan watches the mirror crack.
MORGAN
"She found her voice."
She turns to a darkened glass monolith.
MORGAN
"Then let's take the quiet one next."
The mirror flares — and Airi's reflection vanishes.
TO BE CONTINUED…