Another reflection lunged from the side, grabbing his arm. This one was leaner, eyes hollow like after a bad night. "Remember that girl in training? The one who picked him over you? And then he rejected her, but still she chose him over you. You told yourself it was nothing. But deep down..."
It twisted his arm, forcing him to look at a nearby mirror. In it, he saw himself, not the fighter, but the kid version, watching from the shadows as Nova laughed with her, easy as breathing.
Michael yanked free, shadows exploding from his core in a wave. They slammed into the reflections, knocking a few back.
One shattered against the wall, dissolving into wisps of smoke that hung in the air like accusations. But the others reformed, stepping out of the mirrors again, endlessly. The room felt smaller now, the circle tightening.
