The Shadow Within

Chapter 1: The Vanishing Reflection

Ethan had always been an insomniac, but lately, his sleepless nights had taken a turn for the worse. Every time he looked into the mirror, something felt off. It wasn’t his face that stared back—it was something else, something darker, shifting just beneath the surface of the glass.

One night, as he washed his face in the dimly lit bathroom, he caught a glimpse of movement in the mirror. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light. But when he leaned closer, his reflection did not. Instead, it stood still, grinning at him with a sinister smile that stretched far beyond what was humanly possible.

Ethan stumbled back, heart pounding, but when he looked again, his reflection was normal. He tried to shake it off as exhaustion. That was until the nightmares began.

Chapter 2: Whispers in the Dark

The whispers started the next night. Low, rasping voices slithered through the silence, calling his name. The air in his apartment grew dense, thick with an unnatural chill. He felt eyes watching him, though he was alone.

As the days passed, Ethan noticed subtle changes in his reflection. At first, it was minor—his hair slightly out of place, his expression a fraction of a second delayed. But soon, it became undeniable. His reflection began moving independently, staring at him even when he turned away.

One night, desperate for answers, he covered all the mirrors in his home. The whispers stopped. The air felt lighter. But in his sleep, he dreamt of the mirror’s surface rippling like water, and a long, blackened hand pressing against the glass from the other side.

Chapter 3: The Other Side

Ethan awoke to an unbearable silence. The air was too still, the darkness too deep. As he reached for his phone, he noticed something chilling—the covers on the mirror had been removed. His reflection stood within the glass, watching him with empty, hollow eyes.

Paralyzed with fear, he watched as his reflection raised its hand and pressed against the inside of the mirror. A crack spread across the surface. Then another. Then another.

A voice, cold and echoing, whispered from the fractured glass: “It’s time.”

Before he could move, the mirror shattered completely, and something stepped through.

Chapter 4: The Shadow Within

Ethan never left his apartment after that night. The neighbors noticed the silence. The landlord knocked, but no one answered. Eventually, the police broke down the door.

The apartment was empty—except for a single, massive mirror standing in the center of the room. The glass was pitch black, and if one looked closely, they swore they could see a face inside.

A face that looked just like Ethan’s.

And it was smiling.

The End.