the hell's mirror

The air in the mirror-lined cathedral was cool and silent as Gem and her niece stepped back into the world of Hell. The oppressive heat and the outside flickering red sun rays filtered through the purple-stained glass and greeted them like an old friend. The pungent scent of death and filth was thick in the air, but somehow it felt less suffocating after their brief escape to the living world. Hell was their home, for better or worse it was familiar.

Gem paused just inside the grand, mirrored entrance, running a hand through her dark hair, her mind already returning to her duties. "Well, that was a nice break." Her voice was light, though her eyes held an underlying edge of wariness. She glanced at her niece, who had settled back in one of the ornate chairs, eyes scanning the space around them.

"You know, I've got some errands to run." Gem moved toward a small table center by the silk couch and chairs, gathering up a few supplies that she had left in a small drawer. "You should stay here and keep an eye out."

Her niece, ever curious and eager, looked up. "Why can't I come with you? It's boring here. I'd rather be doing something." Her tail thumped on the armrest of the chair.

Gem, rolling her wrist and passing her fingers along her sundress reflected like cut gems into her familiar white satin dress—simple but still elegant—paused. Her fingers lingered on the fabric, and her gaze became a little more serious. "I know it's boring, kid, but it's better if you stay put. The last thing we need is for the both of us where Alastor wants us, and Alastor doesn't take kindly to being ignored."

Her niece's face fell a bit, her eyes narrowing with confusion. "What do you mean by that? Alastor's not going to care if I'm around. What can he possibly do with me?"

Gem raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Alastor doesn't care about anyone but himself, that's true. But you'd be surprised how fast he can sniff out something related to what he wants." She then added, more gently, "Stay back here. I've got everything under control. The mirrors have been reset. Alastor won't find us now. Besides," she said, tapping a slender finger to the shard of glass she had given her niece earlier, "You can always come to me through this. You'll be able to come to my exact location. It's a good trade-off."

Her niece wasn't entirely satisfied, but after a moment's hesitation, she nodded. "Fine. I'll be watching you from the Pride Mirror. I'm not just about to sit here doing nothing."

Gem chuckled and winked. "That's my girl." She straightened, smoothing down her dress as she moved toward the large, entrance door. "I'll be back before you know it. Keep your eyes sharp."

With that, Gem stepped out from the protection of the cathedra. Her niece settled back, gripping the shard she was gifted before hopping over to the Pride Mirror. A single thought crossed her mind: ' If anything happens, I'll be ready' .

—

Gem navigated the twisted streets of Hell, the red pentagram sky above once again giving her an odd sense of both familiarity and discomfort. As she walked, she thought back to the brief respite in the living world, the strange and vibrant energy of San Francisco still fresh in her mind. But now, back in the familiar chaos of Hell, the weight of her responsibilities pressed down on her shoulders again.

She stopped in front of a small, nondescript shop tucked into a narrow alleyway, its glass windows cracked but still intact. "The Ironmonger" welded terribly above the store, adjusting the straps of her dress. She had a few loose ends to tie up, and this was one of them. A necessary errand in the daily grind of Hell.

The bell above the door jingled as she stepped inside, and the shopkeeper—a thin, hunched demon with mismatched eyes—looked up from behind the counter.

"Gem! Back already? Is it time to fix that mirror again?" The shopkeeper grinned, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth.

Gem waved him off, her posture stiff but polite. "Not yet. I just need a few things. Some supplies for the house. You know how it is."

As she made her way to the back, her eyes instinctively kept an eye on the mirrors, always scanning for any sign of intrusion. The last thing she needed was a surprise visit from someone unwanted. She wasn't worried about Alastor finding her—after all, she was careful—but she never liked the idea of being caught unaware.

—

Back at the cathedral, the niece sat quietly by the Pride Mirror, watching intently. The shard Gem had given her seemed to pulse faintly against her chest, a reminder of their connection. She gazed through the reflective surface, seeing the familiar streets of Hell stretch out before her.

But then, out of her eye, she noticed something odd.

Shadows.

The shadows at the edges of the mirror's frame shifted, their movements subtle but deliberate. Her pulse quickened. It was too dark for her to make out any figures, but she could sense something was wrong. A faint, green glow flickered within the shadows like symbols being etched into the air—demonic, ancient symbols that seemed to linger, almost waiting. The shadows started to stretch and curl toward the mirror as though something—or someone —was moving closer.

Her heart raced, and she instinctively gripped the shard tighter. "Aunty…" she murmured under her breath, but her voice caught in her throat as the symbols became more pronounced.

She was about to call out when, suddenly, her reflection caught her attention. Gem's face appeared in the small shard—flipping her pocket mirror open in a nonchalant motion. The very act of checking her appearance calmed the niece's nerves for a brief second. It was almost like Gem was reassuring her from the other side.

Just as she was about to relax, a loud crack split the air.

The mirror shattered.

The sharp sound of breaking glass sent the niece into full panic mode. "No, no, no!" She scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. Her eyes flicked to the shards of the mirror where Gem's reflection had once been. Now it is gone.

The broken shards of the Pride Mirror seemed to be alive, swirling with green energy that rippled out of control. The last thing the niece saw was the symbol-filled shadows reaching toward her from the shards before they disappeared in an instant, and the next thing she knew, she was falling backward, her fingers instinctively holding the shard clipped to the middle of her shirt in between her breasts.

In a blur of motion, she pressed the shard into the air in front of her, her thoughts scrambling to keep up with the rush of panic. "Take me to her," she whispered desperately, and the world around her twisted as the glass of the shard shimmered like liquid, pulling her into a rift that she could only hope led to Gem.

—

Gem had just finished collecting what she needed from the glass shop and was about to leave when she felt a sudden, unnatural pressure on her chest. The air felt thick, almost alive with tension, and she instinctively turned toward the door, her senses prickling.

"What is it now?" she muttered, her eyes scanning the streets. Finding the occasional drive and drop of passerbyers.

Before she could think further, a flash of light emitting from her pocket mirror caught her eye. Gasping in surprise she quickly took the mirror from her pocket and turned the mirror down allowing for whatever was coming to bounce out.

"Niece?" Gem blinked in confusion, quickly stepping forward to steady her.

The niece looked around, panting heavily, her eyes wide with fright. "Aunty… there was something—something in the mirror. It was watching me. The shadows moved, and there were these symbols, and..." She stopped, her hands shaking as she tried to explain.

Gem's gaze darkened as she looked down the street, but her voice was calm and steady, not wishing to worry the little imp any longer than she already was. "We'll deal with it. But for now, let's get back."

She gently guided her niece back through the street, the atmosphere now heavy with an unfamiliar foreboding. Whatever had just happened, something—or someone —was making moves, and it wasn't going to be long before they would become bold enough to step into her domain.