The village seemed deserted, yet Neo felt he was being watched, not with fear, but with interest. The houses, though old and dilapidated, had mirrors instead of windows. They didn't reflect the outside world, but something else—scenes from memories, fragments of the past, forgotten faces.
In one, he saw his childhood: alone, looking at the sky. In another, an incomprehensible moment: an older version of himself, speaking to a stranger in a place that didn't seem real.
"Mirrors don't lie," the Shadow said.
"Nor do they tell the whole truth," Neo replied.
Each mirror seemed alive, vibrating slightly as he approached. In one, he saw himself killing. In another, dying. In yet another, forgiving.
He didn't know if he was seeing futures, memories, or dreams. But he knew that all was possible within him.
He reached a larger building in the center of the village. An old library, but with no books. Only mirrors, arranged in a circle.
In the center, a stone table with a spiral engraved on it.
Neo placed his hand on the spiral.
A shiver ran through him.
All the mirrors subtly lit up, showing him the same scene: a man falling into the void, then a thin ray of light being born from the darkness.
"Is this your destiny?" the Shadow asked.
"No. Perhaps it's ours," Neo said.
The Shadow fell silent. Then, as never before, it stepped in front of him. It turned to face him. For the first time, it had a face.
It was his face.
"Do you understand who I am?" it asked.
"You are me. When I don't run away."
The mirrors darkened.
But in that darkness, Neo no longer felt alone.
End of Chapter 11