Our Mirrored World

Chapter Eight - Reverse

Last night, Luther used his magic near the mirror to make himself a bed; he wanted to watch Zarina sleep all night, but he needed to sleep to restore the abilities he had used yesterday.

A loud ringing of the alarm woke him up as he immediately grabbed his wand and stared at the mirror, he immediately sighed in relief when he noticed that Zarina was still sleeping peacefully on the other side.

He wanted to ask himself why he was so worried about this creature he had just recently met, but he couldn't answer his statements. All he knows is that he has cared for her since he met her inside of that mirror.

But where does that sound coming from? He leaned in near his big square mirror on the other side before glaring at Zarina. It’s coming from her world! He thought.

“Oi human, something’s ringing in your bedroom I think?” Luther tried to call her, but she was too tired to care as she motioned her body to face the back.

Luther groaned before raising his wand to let Zarina fall on the single couch that she was sleeping on.

“O-Ouch,” she grunted before scratching the back of her head, Luther immediately hid his wand before floating mid-air.

“Oi! Human! Something’s ringing in your apartment!” Luther informed, so Zarina opened her eyes and checked at the sunlight that was creeping inside of her room.

It felt like an adrenaline hit her after she stood up like she was already full wake, “Oh holy crap! I’m going to be late for work!” Zarina exclaimed before running into her kitchen to make some breakfast.

Luther furrowed his eyebrows as he used his magic to see what Zarina was doing in her dining room. He smiled when he noticed that she was wearing an apron while making herself some breakfast.

He doesn’t get why he’s interested in all of what Zarina was doing, everything about her is just a mystery to him. He thought that humans are interesting beings no wonder why his mentor was interested in learning about them before.

Luther waited for Zarina to finish cooking and eating her breakfast until she finally gazed at him with a towel hanging on her shoulders.

“Good morning human Zarina! Tough morning huh?” Luther playfully smirked as Zarina glared at him and covered the mirror with some cloth.

“Oi! I couldn’t see!” Luther complained as all he was seeing was white aside from the high whistling of the showers on the other side.

“I’m taking a bath, so don’t you dare do something unusual,” Zarina warned him, so he just laughed.

He wouldn’t dare, just seeing her raise a hammer to her own mirror yesterday scared him, “I know, just get ready for work human!” Luther left the mirror for a moment before gazing at his home.

Luther’s having a hard time cleaning the mess that has befall this place, he was practicing magic and his things almost got burnt up and he’s trying to recover all of his studies.

He stopped fixing things up when he heard the shower was turned off, Zarina’s probably going to get dressed. He thought before waiting for her to bid him goodbye.

Luther waited for many minutes before the cloth was removed, he was stunned after seeing Zarina looking so different in her strange plain, formal gray uniform that added to her alluring appeal.

Despite that she looked expressionless, Zarina’s eyes were glinting like she was determined to get her work done for today.

“I’m going out for work, no one would enter here unless they have my key,” Zarina raised the key before keeping it in her bag, “I’ll go to work now, I’ll see you later,” she mumbled before gazing at Luther.

“Alright, take care! Bring me some food, will you?” Luther beamed, making Zarina roll her eyes because how on earth can she actually give it to him?

“Don’t be stupid, you know I can’t give you food, I don’t have powers unlike you,” Zarina firmly stated.

“Hm well, are you going to tell your parents what happened to you yesterday?” Luther curiously asked as Zarina avoided his gaze.

He noticed that Zarina didn’t even bother reporting it to her loved ones, he studied before that most humans are very attached to their families.

“No, I don’t want to worry them, we’re far apart from each other and I don’t want to bother coming here when the police can just solve it,” Zarina claimed, so Luther shook his head at her.

“They’re still your parents, they would worry more if you didn’t tell them ahead of time, just tell them you got it under control,” Luther suggested, so Zarina thought about it for a moment before sighing.

“I’ll think about it, for now, I have to leave,” Zarina didn’t say anything as she left and the only thing that Luther heard was her closing and locking her apartment door securely.

“So, what should I do while that human being is gone?” Luther wondered before gazing at the mirror where he could see Zarina.

“Maybe I’ll start checking out some stuff from the human world,” He playfully smirked before using his want to summon the element of water to capture her whole apartment.

***

Zarina arrived at their company swiftly, she just then found out that the generator couldn’t hold off for the whole day so they’ll just be having work for half a day and the CEO would divide their team a day per week.

On the way to work, she noticed something was off around her surroundings. Aside from the fact that there were no lights other than the sun, many businesses were closed, and just a few people were walking around, despite the fact that this is Lander city, which has plenty of people roaming around the streets.

Zarina finds it truly strange and puzzling, no one even talks about the blinding light that landed in the middle of Lander city. Even on the news, that’s currently playing on the top of their company. Did no one see that? She wondered before gazing at her computer screen again.

She already discussed with her team what they’re about to do. All that is left is for them to finish their work and wait for another batch of books that will be passed unto them.

Also, not many employees came to their work because some of them assumed that the generator wouldn’t be working well.

“Oh there she is! The new member of our group chat!” Kirstin announced for the nth time every time she looked at Zarina on the other part of the department.

She was wishing they wouldn't be working on the same day, she’s already had enough at home with Luther and she didn’t like to handle someone like Kirstin at work either.

Zarina glared at Kirstin before deciding to finish her part, “If looks can kill, I already have been dead not just twice,” she laughed out loud like she was amused with what’s going on.

Thankfully, Kirstin didn’t bother Zarina until half of the day was almost over. Zarina did her usual routine to buy coffee after work before she decided to take a stroll on the not-so-crowded streets anymore.

She gazed at the lamppost around her and squinted her eyes after noticing that there’s a strange charge over there that’s flickering. Zarina approached one of the posts again and stared at them intently.

The flickering lights appeared and the charge immediately vanished, she furrowed her eyebrows while shaking her head.

“What’s up with that?” Zarina curiously asked while gazing at the different lamppost, she feels like her hair was standing on its ends.

She just shook her head and decided to go back to her apartment. Zarina thought about what Luther had told her a while ago before fishing out her phone in her bag.

What Luther said got her into thinking about telling her mother and father what just happened to her yesterday.

It’s just that, she knows how they overreact about her safety, she didn’t want them to worry when she’s completely fine.

Zarina cursed underneath her breath before deciding to dial her mother’s number, one ring and it was immediately answered.

[Sweetheart? Is there something wrong? You never call us at this time,] Jane greeted on the other line, so Zarina felt that she teared up for a moment.

She was fine, but she couldn’t understand why she had to tear up after hearing her mom’s voice, it would worry her.

“Mom, there’s something I have to tell you, but you have to promise me that you won’t overreact and go here,” Zarina firmly stated while waiting for her mom’s response.

[Sweetheart? What is it? You’re making me nervous,] Jane nervously admitted, so she sighed before she started narrating about what happened yesterday.

Luther was right, her parents would’ve acted worse if she didn’t inform them about this sooner, [Goodness, what would your dad say if he heard about this?] Jane worriedly mumbled on the other line.

“Take it easy on telling him, I’m fine now, the culprit was captured,” Zarina reassured, she also used the excuse of how her windows were broken from the police.

She was not sure how her parents would react if they found out that somebody helped him and he was a wizard from another universe called Wizardia. 

[I’m so glad you’re alright dear, I’m sweating right now because of my worry about you,] Jane sighed in relief while sniffing, so Zarina got worried about her for a moment.

[Thank you for telling me sweetheart, but you should’ve called me sooner like yesterday when it happened,] Her mother complained so she scratched the back of her head. Zarina gazed at the building before her and she’s already right in front of her apartment.

“Like I said, I don’t want to worry you, okay? Don’t worry, everything’s fine and I just got out of work today,” Zarina informed before smiling.

[Where are you right now, sweetheart? Are you safe?] Jane worriedly asked while pacing back and forth on the other line.

“I’m safe, I’m right outside of my apartment, I’ll call you tomorrow again okay? I’ll keep you updated on the case, I’m fine so don’t worry about me,” Zarina reassured, making her mother sigh on the other line.

[Please be safe there sweetheart, we wanted to come to visit you, but the train travels were delayed and restricted here since there’s no electricity there, right?] Jane informed her, so Zarina just nodded before biting her lower lip.

She felt bad that she felt glad that the trains were restricted, it would probably take too long for those to be fixed.

“It’s alright mom, I’ll be fine here and promise, I will keep you updated,” Zarina reassured and few words of concern were exchanged until she ended the call.

Zarina sighed in relief because she managed to put her mom at ease despite her worried tones. She hoped that her father would be able to console her while she wasn't there.

She finally decided to pace towards her apartment to see whether Luther was still there in the mirror.

It didn't take her long to open her apartment door, and she was surprised to see that her room appears to have been summoned from the forest due to the abundance of flowers, shrubs, and trees around it.

Zarina swiftly went inside of her apartment and harshly closed the door, she sighed in relief when no one was there to see what she has just seen.

“Luther! What the hell did you do to my room?!” Zarina furiously exclaimed while gasping for some air, making Luther flinch on the other side while he’s reading some ancient book to look for solutions.

Luther was so enthusiastic to discover what was inside Zarina's apartment a while ago that he used too much power and unintentionally switched her apartment room from a forest in Wizardia.

“I-It’s not what you think! I’m trying to fix it!” Luther panicked because he assumed that Zarina would come home late.

“You better! I would kill you if--” Zarina couldn’t finish what she just said when a snake hissed and crawled near her feet.

“Ahh! Luther! A venomous snake!” She panicked while running away from that snake and tripped over near the bathroom door.

Zarina grunted before gazing at the back as she screamed when the snake instinctively followed her, “Luther! Do something about this!”

“What? Where? What was that sound?” Luther worriedly asked as he shook his head and summoned his wand. 

He immediately gazed at the mirror and saw Zarina shaking with fear while crawling on the ground.

“Luther! I swear, if you didn’t do something about this! I’ll break that mirror right now!” Zarina furiously stated while throwing her bag on that slightly huge snake.

“Reverse!”

Luther didn’t know what happened after he said those words, but all he knew was that Zarina disappeared together with the forest around her apartment.

To be continued...