Mox

The Black mirror

The hood was removed from his head. He was lead to a summit where an ancient temple stood. Behind him the monks left along the path he was brought here. He turned his gaze forward and stepped onto the steps. His pupils adjusted and he could see a reflecting surface glooming in the darkness before him. There was a mist that seemed to be coming from behind it, and it hued the pillars in an eerie jade glow. This was the penultimate rite. His Ascension was near. The air was thick with a sweet incense, and his vision became focused on the mirroring object in front of him.

His feet made him step forward once more. His reflection showed him a tall and lean young man. His braid reached beyond his calves, with a red tip at the end. His humble cloth attire was strapped around his body with bands and rope. Then his image became increasingly blurred, and the surface seemed to swirl. He blinked several times to adjust his eyesight, but the surface of the mirror seemed to boil. What emerged from beyond was something from his wildest nightmares.

The last thing the guard-monks outside the summit heard where the screams of terror from above.