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Chapter 224: The Mirror of the Eternal Lantern
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Act I: A Chamber of Guiding Glow
The Gallery opened into a chamber where lanterns floated in the air, each casting a soft, steady light. Their glow was neither blinding nor dim—it was the kind of illumination that revealed paths without forcing them.
Ne Job stepped forward, Twinkle buzzing with a gentle hum, its rhythm echoing the pulse of guidance.
Ao Bing muttered, "This place… it feels like hope itself lights the way."
Taiyi Zhenren scribbled quickly. "The mirror here does not blaze. It glows."
At the center stood a mirror framed by radiant lanterns, its surface shimmering with eternal illumination.
It spoke in a voice warm and steady:
> "I am the Mirror of the Eternal Lantern. I hold what lights, what endures in guidance, what carries truth into clarity."
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Act II: The Weight of Illumination
The interns gazed into its surface.
Visions unfolded, showing truths carried by lanterns.
- Ao Bing saw battles where courage meant walking forward with only a faint light.
- Taiyi Zhenren saw scrolls preserved in lantern glow, wisdom revealed in shadows.
- Ne Job saw miracles illuminated in silence, inscribed into the Registry as lights eternal.
Twinkle pulsed brightly, resonating with the chamber's glow.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must shine without fear."
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Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Lanterns are mine to corrupt. I will twist guidance into false hope, and clarity into despair."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward Eternal Lantern, trying to fracture its glow into darkness.
Ao Bing staggered. "The lanterns flicker out!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My scrolls vanish into shadow!"
Ne Job steadied them. "Lantern is not false hope. It is clarity."
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Act IV: The Trial of Lantern
The Mirror of the Eternal Lantern spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must shine."
Ne Job gazed into its glowing surface.
He saw himself faltering, afraid of lights that might fade.
He whispered:
> "I shine. Even when shadows press, I endure. Even when despair waits, I carry forward."
The mirror glowed brighter, its lanterns steady.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with clarity.
Ao Bing's fists steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls aligned.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
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Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.
Illusions tried to twist lantern into false hope, scattering the interns into despair.
Ao Bing staggered. "My courage fades in flickering light!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My wisdom dissolves in shadow!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Lantern is not false hope. It is truth carried eternal."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt, Living Light, Boundless Hope, Unbroken Unity, Eternal Harmony, Final Resolve, Infinite Resolve, Last Question, First Dawn, Endless Return, Forgotten Future, Silent Dawnfall, Eternal Song, Endless Silence, Forgotten Flame, Eternal Return, Eternal Choice, Hidden Dawn, Eternal Oath, Eternal Memory, Eternal Threshold, Eternal Light, Eternal Shadow, Eternal Balance, Eternal Dawnfire, Eternal Storm, Eternal Ocean, Eternal Sky, Eternal Flameheart, Eternal Songfire, Eternal Silenceflame, Eternal Starfall, Eternal Horizon, Eternal Root, Eternal Crown, Eternal Gate, Eternal Tower, Eternal Anchor, Eternal Bridge, Eternal Labyrinth, Eternal Flame of Truth, Eternal Spiral, Eternal Compass — joined with Eternal Lantern.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
False hope became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every lantern restored.
Ne Job stood firm, lantern and truth united.
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Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of the Eternal Lantern calmed, its surface shimmering with radiant glow.
It whispered:
> "Intern, lantern is not chaos. It is clarity eternal. Guard it well."
Ne Job bowed.
Twinkle pulsed softly.
The Gallery shimmered, stable once more.
The Mask of Misrule retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing faintly:
> "You may resist lanterns today. But false hope always waits."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.