NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41 - Fragmented Persona
Gio scribbled in his notebook, theory-crafting potential ideas for a domain. He looked at the mirror across from him, trading ideas with Rio.
“Ideally, it will make [Mirror Jaunt] less expensive. From what we’ve read, [Wizard’s Domain] makes arcane spells significantly more powerful and less mana-intensive in a small radius surrounding the caster for a short period, so having something that would do the same thing for mirror spells would be the easiest and most effective thing for us.” Gio signed.
Signing to Rio had become considerably easier once Gio had used [Specular Mind] to capture details of pages that he had been struggling with. The mirror-based learning skill quickly became one of his favorites from his class evolution.
“Maybe some way for me to come out of the mirror?” Rio replied.
Gio frowned.
“While I’d love that… I think that actually manifesting a reflection outside of a mirror is like… intense magic.” Gio rebutted.
“Yeah. Reality warping. But if we concentrate the domain on solely allowing me to come out in a small area, it might be less demanding than a full manifestation,” Rio said.
“True. I wish I could get [Mirror Jaunt] to take me to the reflection. Co-operating with you like this has been super helpful, but I can’t help but feel like we’re missing out on a whole realm of possibilities. I bet we could cast spells together if we were on the same side of the mirror.” ” Gio said.
“We have time. We haven’t given up yet, remember? You should go.. Your interview starts soon.” Rio said.
“Ugh, Don’t remind me. I wish we could trade places so that you could go do the interviews instead of me, me,” Gio complained.
“You realize that I also have to do the interviews, right? We’re the same person. When we’re not in this room, I just do what you do.” Rio replied.
“Huh. you know, I think on some level I know that intuitively… but it doesn’t feel like it when we talk like this. Well, see you soon… me.” Gio said, waving goodbye.
Spirits… I’ve become so weird.
Rio
Rio felt bad about misleading his original. He, in fact, would not be present at the interview. Or at least, most of him was going to be absent.
Rio looked fondly at the form of his originator gathering his belongings, getting ready to go have a series of unpleasant conversations. Rio felt a touch of disdain- not for Gio. but for the situation he was in.
Not that Gio was weak. In fact, Rio believed that he and Gio were strong in their own way. But Gio… Gio had always been very pleasant. Being his reflection, Rio felt, and embodied, all of Gio’s shortcomings, flaws, and unfulfilled desires. The silver-haired boy constantly required the approval of those around him. He was a fierce friend and devoted himself utterly to those he cared for… often to the detriment of himself. He always carried himself in a way that spoke to his compulsive need to be good.
Good at school, a good friend, a good person.
But that goodness wouldn’t stop others from exploiting him. Gio always saw the best in everyone… even those who didn’t deserve it.
Rio, after all, remembered what they made Gio forget.
He remembered the prone form of his mirror-brother, convulsing on the floor, as the gold-masked inquisitor intruded into his mind. He remembered the quiet sobbing as invisible hands accosted Gio. He remembered the golden and reflective surface of the inquisitor’s mask.
After all, who could detect a reflection not quite in its correct place, in a mirror that they couldn’t see?
Rio understood, on some level, that the school probably thought that whatever they were doing was justified. But on that day, when Gio forgot, Rio diverged from his original. He could no longer view the staff of the Crystal Ring Academy as entirely benevolent.
He had to sit by and watch as Gio struggled against made-up rules, and he knew Gio would be entirely incapable of conjuring the resentment required to rebel against those forces.
Rio felt powerless. The mirror that had initially animated him into something more than just a reflection didn’t allow him complete freedom outside of this room… and while he could stay while Gio left, reality demanded that Gio have a reflection on other mirrors- so Rio would be spirited away from the training room.
So when something reached out to him through the system a few days back, Rio knew he had to accept the suspicious offer.
When Gio turned around, Rio discretely used his new skill.
“[Fragmented Persona].”
A great crack appeared on Rio’s arm, causing two silvery shards to go flying outwards. The shards rippled, turning into a ghostly light that manifested as copies of him.
One copy walked forward, merging with Gio and taking its rightful spot as his reflection.
The other cast [Mirror Jaunt] bounded through the mirror dimension from the surface of the dungeon mirror and into the reflective surface of Gio’s crystalline badge.
One stays here to keep the magic of the mirror flowing through us. One goes with Gio to prevent suspicion. One goes to see what we can do about this situation.