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nAurora (Eun-Kyung)'s POV

nEverything that surrounded me was the mirror, but unlike the usual mirror, the mirror showed the person with black hair and eyes in the mirror.

nThe one I never thought I would see again, it was me Eun-Kyung.

nI almost forgot my face but thanks to the mirror, I remembered how I looked before.

nEverything went by so fast when we arrived at the village near the border between the two empires. All I remembered was a demon who welcomed us with the smoke portal which suck all of the armies including me into it.

nTristan soon followed me inside the portal after a while, and now he was separated from me again. That guy won't die easily since the demon who welcomed us wasn't how it was described in the novel.

nIt was supposed to be a female demon Valencia. That meant that demon was only demon Valencia's underling.

nHerod cast some magic on me before I left the church, he told me that the magic he embued on the bracelet will lead me to Marinette.

nThe bracelet showed its aura wildly when I was outside the portal telling me to go north, but now it became fainter and fainter.

nHuh??

nMy hair...

nIt became black.

nEven my dress changed to the high school uniform.

nWhat's going on???

nAs I kept on walking and walking to search for the way out, when I turned back for once, all I saw was the trial of Aurora behind.

nHer pink hair dropped on the floor, the dress of the era also dropped.

nI turned to Eun-Kyung!!!

nIt must be some sort of illusion.

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"Eun-Kyung.

"

nSomeone called me, my pace started getting quicker as I ran from the voice calling me. The familiar voice, I didn't want to hear it.

nIt was only an illusion, there was no way it could be real.

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"Eun-Kyung!!!

"

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"Eun-Kyung!!!

"

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"Eun-Kyung!!!

"

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"Where are you running from???

"

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"Eun-Kyung!!! You killed me!!!

"

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"You killed me, Eun-Kyung!!!

"

nI'm sorry...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to.

nI'm sorry...please don't chase after me...

nIt was my fault. I'm sorry.

nIt was the dead-end, all I could see was myself panting with that person behind me walking slowly to me.

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"Are you happy with your new life?? Are you happy now???

"

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"No, I'm not!!!!

"

nWhat kind of illusion is this??? I hate this. Please make it stop.

nI don't want to face it, I don't want to...

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"Eun-Kyung...turn to me...

"

nI couldn't hold back my tear when I looked at that girl with the same black hair and eyes just like people in Seoul.

nI didn't want to see her and talk to her face to face like that.

nHuff huff

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"Remember me, Eun-Kyung???

"

nNo, no, no, no, no, no...go away.

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"GO AWAY!!!!

"

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"How can I go away...when I'm you?? I'm your shadow...your deep consciousness, your regret, everything you left behind on earth. You left me behind and enjoy your new life as Aurora.

" it was myself I was talking to, the voice was the same.

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"Please go away...

" the mirror on the side, its frame turned black, the Eun-Kyung before me, her uniform turned to the dress I wore at my birthday party.

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"You killed Sun-hee, now you want to enjoy your new life by killing her again?? You murderer!!!!

"

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"I...

"

nEverything became silent, the whole mirror room disappeared, I was left inside the void, the lonely void with nothing.

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"I was wrong...

" I crouched crying on my knees unable to move, unable to speak, unable to do anything.

nI felt guilty, it felt wrong.

nWhen I told that little girl I want to have a new life, and when she said Sun-hee was also there, I was glad I could meet her again.

nIf I even meet her again, I will be her friend again with the new identity. She won't hate me, she won't be cold toward me. It was what I wanted.

nHow did everything turn to this...??

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"...

"

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"Eun-Kyung, what're you doing spacing out??!! The teacher will come soon, here's my homework.

"

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"Sun-hee??

"

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"What're you doing??

" that Sun-hee sighed and handed me her homework, it was the third year homework.

nWhy did she talk to me like I'm her friend??

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"Sun-hee, is this a dream??

" she flinched like she thought I was a crazy person, she put her hand on my forehead to check my temperature.

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"Do you have a fever?? You're still sleepy, aren't you?? Ehhh??? Why are you crying???

"

nI'm crying???

nWhy did I cry??? She was always my friend, we never argue with each other.

nWe never argue...? Always my friend???

nThen...was that a dream???

nIt must be a dream, there's no way someone can get into the novel, right??

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"HAHAHA, I'm just kidding with you. Let me copy your homework, how about we hang out this evening??

"

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"You know the rule. I can't go out late.

"

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"AHAHA, right right. Then let's just eat lunch together.

"

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"Emm!!

"

nRight, this must be the reality. Everything was only a dream.

nThis is...the reality...

n...

n...

n...

nLet's see how many are left?? Ahh...only two haven't fallen into my illusion completely??

nDemon Lucas giggled from the monitor room, and deleted all the screens except Aurora's and Tristan.

nTwo hundred soldiers already fell into my illusion, how could you two resist?? And when you're all trapped in my illusion, I'll kill you.

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nTristan's POV

nWhat's going on???

nWhere am I?? I was with Aurora earlier.

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"Soldier!!! Get up!!!

" I ran into the room which every soldier I led to defeat the demon was sleeping without a care in the world.

nIt was behind the mirror, I had to break the mirror at the dead-end to enter this room but there was no way out.

nIsn't that Aurora??

nI ran to her as soon as I saw her, her face was sweating, unlike the other people who were sleeping peacefully.

nIs she having a nightmare?? But is this even the right time for them to sleep like this??

nNo matter how much I tried to wake them up, they still slept without any care in the world.

nDeath Roses Magic: Reverse Sleep Spell

nIt wasn't effective.

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"Aurora, Aurora, wake up!!!!

"

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"...is it delicious?? AHAHAHA.

" Aurora was also like the other people who soon fell asleep into a deep sleep.

nIllusion??

nHow can such a weak demon create an illusion for many groups of people at once?!

nThey must be using some trick. Mirror, sleep, illusion...

nWas it the smoke we inhaled when we got into the portal??

nI didn't inhale the smoke but for the other...

nI have to save them quickly.

nI used my death roses magic to create a barrier to protect all of those people. It was exhausting to use magic inside this place. My magic energy ran out so fast.

nMy head felt dizzy.

nI shook my head trying to stay awake, but my eyes felt so heavy.

n...

nWhat just happened??

n...

nIf I fell asleep, all the soldiers will die...I have to stay awake...

nStay awake...

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"Lullaby, and good night,

nWith pink roses bedight,

nWith lilies overspread,

nIs my baby's sweet head.

nLay you down now, and rest,

nMay your slumber be blessed.

nLay you down now, and rest,

nMay thy slumber be blessed~

"

nMother...a beautiful voice...it was her lullaby.

nMother??!

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"Tristan, you're too old for a lullaby now. You're making your little sister uncomfortable.

"

nMama...

nIt's an illusion...it's an illusion...my mother already died when she gave birth to Marinette...

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"Right, brother!!! Mama is singing for me!!!

"

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"Come on, Tristan. Let me carry you back to your room.

"

nWhy is my hand so small?? What's stuck at my throat?? I couldn't say anything, my mother's beautiful eyes, and her smile...she still looked the same.

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"Mama...

"

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"What's wrong, Tristan?? Are you still wanting that cake?? Let me grab it for you.

"

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"No...no...I just...want to sleep here tonight.

"

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"I want to sleep with mommy, hmm!!!

" I was never able to see young Marinette properly, her room was pink filled with toys.

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"No, no, mommy will sleep with papa tonight!! Now, now sleep early.

"

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"Jellal!!

"

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"What?? Marinette said she wants a younger sister!

" my mother was blushing when my father teased her like that.

nIt's been a long time since my father ever made a joke or said anything funny like that.

nIt's just an illusion. Nothing bad will happen if I stay here for a while, right??

nMother is here with me, Marinette is also growing up with normal magic, father is happy, I...I am also happy.

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"Goodnight, my child.

" my mother blew the candle on the table and got out of the room silently holding my father's hand.

nMarinette was adorable sleeping sucking her thump and hugging her...doll??

nIsn't this the doll she made for father??

nThat painting on the wall, I got up from the bed without making a sound and took a closer look at the painting hung on the wall, it was me and her.

nI remembered she gave the painting to me when she was a child, but I never accepted it.

nI was still a brat then. She must have been hurt quite a lot.

nI'm glad there is such an illusion which Marinette had a happy life with her family. But I didn't belong inside this illusion.

nI had to go back.

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"Brother??

" it was my little sister rubbing her eyes calling me.

nStrange, the real Marinette called me Tristan Oppa when she was young. There is no way I'm going to fall into such an easy illusion.

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"Brother, I'm happy...today...I'm really excited about my next birthday.

"

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"Today is your birthday??

"

nThen today must be the day my mother died as well. I never got any gift for her or spent time with her on her birthday since that day was the death anniversary of my mother.

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"Are you teasing me again, brother??

"

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"I'm just kidding.

" I went to sit beside her and patted her head. She was quite a kind girl when she was young. She changed little by little, now she didn't even call me brother anymore.

nHer face also didn't have a scar.

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"Brother, I want to spend the next birthday with you too. Don't forget your promise!! You'll take me to the zoo.

"

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"Alright, alright. The zoo, it is.

"

nI made such a promise to her??

nLet's just make this Marinette in illusion happy before I go back. Getting out of the illusion is easy, you just have to grab the sense of reality and kill yourself if you want it more efficient.

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"Brother...I love you...

"

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"Yeah...I love you too.

"

nGoodbye Marinette, it's such a beautiful illusion.

nTo be continued....!

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