Jax stood in front of the mirror panel. His hands were shaking, but his eyes looked clear for the first time in a long while. He looked like a person who finally stopped running.
Kai's body tensed. "Jax," Kai warned, low and sharp.
Jax swallowed hard. He glanced at Lina. Then he glanced at Kai. He looked like he wanted to cry, but he forced his voice steady.
"I did this," Jax whispered. Then he stopped, like he remembered the rule.
No whispers.
Jax looked at the silver words on the mirror.
SAY IT.SAY IT TWICE.
The corridor hummed. It loved that Jax was close. It loved that someone was about to speak.
Mira shook her head fast. Her eyes begged him to stop.
Seren's eyes glowed bright. She looked scared, like she could hear the dead voices cheering.
Reyon took one step back, ready to run.
Lina's throat burned with fear, but she stayed quiet. Her hand stayed on Kai's chest. His heartbeat was fast and hard.
Jax took a deep breath.
Then he did something smart.
He did not repeat any phrase from the mirror.
He did not say anyone's name.
He spoke a different kind of truth.
He spoke his own.
"My name is Jax Enlor," Jax said, loud and clear.
The corridor froze for half a second, like it did not expect that.
The mirror panel flickered. The silver lines in the wall shivered.
Then the corridor tried to use Lina's stolen voice again, sweet and sharp.
"Good," it said in Lina's voice. "Now say his."
Jax clenched his fists. He looked at Kai. "I won't," Jax said.
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Then why are you speaking?"
Jax swallowed. "Because it wants someone to speak," Jax said. "So I'll be the one it uses. Not Lina. Not you."
Lina's chest tightened. Jax's words hurt, because they were brave and true. And Lina hated that it took this much fear for Jax to become brave.
Seren whispered without sound, lips moving only: Don't. Don't.
But Jax already made his choice.
He turned back to the mirror panel and spoke again, louder.
"I am real," Jax said. "I am here."
The corridor hummed. The silver lines glowed brighter. The air warmed slightly, like the Echo route was drinking his voice.
Lina felt sick. This place really did eat sound.
The mirror panel flashed.
A new line appeared.
WITNESS OFFER: ACCEPTED.
Mira's eyes widened.
Kai's jaw clenched. He didn't like it. He didn't trust it.
Reyon mouthed, "What is that?"
Seren's eyes glowed bright and wet. "It's taking him as payment," Seren whispered, then stopped herself and pressed her lips shut hard.
The corridor spoke again, this time in Jax's own voice.
"Say it twice."
Jax flinched. His eyes went wide.
Because he didn't say that.
It copied him too.
Lina's stomach dropped. "It's faster now," Lina thought. "It's learning quicker."
Kai pulled Lina closer. He pressed his forehead near hers, quick and strong. He didn't say anything. He just made sure she felt him.
Then Kai looked at Jax and spoke low, careful. "Don't answer it," Kai said. "Don't repeat. Don't bargain."
Jax nodded, breathing hard.
But the mirror changed again.
It stopped showing phrases.
It showed a scene.
A door. A small door like the Echo doors. A student standing in front of it. The student looked like Jax, but older, like a future version.
The future-Jax opened his mouth.
And the mirror wrote a simple question above the door.
WHO DO YOU LOVE MOST?
Jax's face turned white.
Mira's hand flew to her mouth.
Because they all knew what this was.
A trap question.
A hook.
If Jax answered, it could use the answer to hurt the person.
If he stayed silent, the door might close.
The corridor behind them made a soft sound, like someone smiling.
Then it used Lina's stolen voice again, gentle and cruel.
"Answer," it said. "Or they die."
Lina felt her whole body go cold. Her hands shook. She wanted to move, to do something, but the corridor felt heavy, like it was pressing down.
Kai's grip tightened around her fingers. He leaned in and whispered, just once, so low it was almost not sound at all. "Stay real."
Lina nodded. She did not speak.
Jax stared at the mirror question.
WHO DO YOU LOVE MOST?
His throat moved like he was trying to swallow a stone.
Then the corridor did the worst thing yet.
It laughed.
Not a monster laugh.
A normal laugh.
Mira's laugh.
The exact sound Lina couldn't remember.
Perfect again.
Clean and bright like it came from a sunny day.
Lina's eyes filled with tears. Her chest hurt. It felt like someone was holding her missing memory up in front of her and waving it.
Mira froze, shaking. "That's… me," Mira whispered.
The corridor hummed, happy.
It was using the missing laugh like a knife.
Jax's face twisted in pain. He looked like he wanted to scream. He looked like he wanted to answer just to make it stop.
Kai moved fast and put his hand on Jax's shoulder, firm and heavy. Not gentle. Strong.
Jax blinked hard, like the touch woke him up.
Kai looked him straight in the eye.
"No names," Kai said. "No love answers. No repeats."
Jax's breath shook. He nodded.
Then Jax did something that made Lina's heart jump.
He looked at the mirror and spoke one word.
Not a name.
Not a phrase.
A command.
"Enough," Jax said.
The corridor hummed louder, excited.
TRUTH SPOKEN.TAX REQUIRED.
The silver words appeared at once.
Lina's stomach dropped. She expected the tax to hit her again.
But it didn't.
It hit Jax.
Jax's face went blank for one terrible second. His eyes unfocused, like he forgot where he was.
Then he gasped and grabbed his own head. "I—" he whispered, then stopped himself.
Kai's hand tightened on Jax's shoulder. "What did it take?" Kai asked.
Jax blinked fast, confused and scared. "I… I can't remember my sister's face," Jax whispered.
Lina felt her chest crack with sadness.
Mira started crying.
Seren's eyes glowed brighter, and her voice came out, shaking and full. "It's moving the tax," Seren said. "It's learning we care about Lina, so it's taking from others instead."
Reyon whispered, terrified, "So it can take from anyone."
The corridor behind them breathed again, like it was pleased.
And then the stolen voice spoke, not Lina's now.
It spoke in Jax's voice, close and smooth.
"Good boy."
Jax's whole body went cold.
Kai's eyes went dark with rage.
Because the Echo route wasn't only stealing voices anymore.
It was training them.
It was praising them.
Like pets.
Like tools.
And the mirror panel wrote one final line, slow and neat, like a promise.
NEXT TRIAL: TRUE NAME.
Kai stared at it.
Lina's blood ran cold.
Because the corridor had decided what it wanted next.
And it was coming for Kai again.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2025
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