Three Minutes of Demon's Dark Reflection

In the heart of the dense, foggy forest that bordered the small town of Eldridge, there stood an old, abandoned mansion. It was said that the mansion was cursed, and the townsfolk avoided it like the plague. Yet, in the dead of night, when the fog rolled in and the wind howled, the mansion's windows would flicker with an eerie light.

Lila had always been fascinated by the mansion. She was the new girl in town, a transplant from the bustling city, and the mansion was her only connection to the past. One stormy evening, driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure, she decided to explore the abandoned mansion.

The mansion was a labyrinth of dusty corridors and forgotten rooms. Lila wandered through, her flashlight casting flickering shadows on the walls. She had reached the end of the hall when she stumbled upon a small, ornate mirror. The mirror was unlike any she had seen before; it was dark, almost black, and it seemed to hum with an ancient power.

As she reached out to touch the mirror, a chill ran down her spine. The mirror's surface rippled, and a dark figure emerged from within. It was a demon, its eyes glowing with malevolence. "You have disturbed my slumber," the demon hissed, its voice echoing through the room.

Lila's heart raced. She had heard tales of demons, but never thought she would encounter one. "I'm sorry," she stammered, "I didn't mean to intrude."

The demon's laughter was chilling. "Intrusion? You have entered my domain, and now you must pay the price."

Before Lila could react, the demon lunged at her. She dodged, but the demon was fast. It caught her by the wrist, and she felt a sharp pain as its nails dug into her skin. "You will die for this," the demon growled.

Just as the demon was about to strike, Lila's reflection appeared in the mirror. It was her, but her eyes were dark and filled with malevolence. "No!" she screamed, but it was too late. The demon's hand met her reflection's, and a blinding light erupted from the mirror.

Lila's vision blurred, and she felt herself being pulled into the mirror. She was falling, falling into darkness, and she could hear the demon's laughter echoing in her ears. "You cannot escape your own reflection," it taunted.

But then, something strange happened. The darkness began to recede, and Lila found herself standing in the middle of the forest. She looked down at her hands, and to her shock, they were covered in blood. She had been fighting the demon, and she had won.

But the victory was short-lived. The demon's dark reflection appeared behind her, and it was closing in. "You think you have defeated me?" it hissed. "You have only delayed the inevitable."

Lila turned and ran, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to find a way to stop the demon, but she had no idea how. She stumbled upon a small, rundown cabin and burst inside, collapsing on the floor, gasping for breath.

As she lay there, trying to catch her breath, she heard a voice. "You are not alone."

It was an old man, his eyes twinkling with a knowing smile. "I am the guardian of this place," he said. "The demon is a part of you, Lila. It is your dark reflection, the side of yourself that you have tried to suppress."

Lila looked at the old man, her mind racing. "What do I do?"

The old man stood up and walked over to the mirror. "You must confront your reflection and accept the darkness within you. Only then can you defeat it."

Lila took a deep breath and stood up. She faced the mirror, and her reflection looked back at her. It was her, but her eyes were filled with fear and anger. "I accept you," she whispered.

The mirror's surface rippled again, and the demon's dark reflection emerged. It lunged at Lila, but this time, she was ready. She reached out and touched the demon, and to her shock, it melted away, leaving behind a void.

The old man smiled. "You have done it, Lila. You have accepted your darkness and defeated it."

Lila looked at the old man, her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you," she said. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

The old man patted her on the back. "You have the strength within you, Lila. You have always had it."

As the sun began to rise, Lila left the cabin and made her way back to town. She knew that the demon would return, but she was no longer afraid. She had faced her own reflection and had won.

The townsfolk of Eldridge never knew what had happened to Lila, but they never spoke of the mansion again. They had seen the light flicker in the windows one last time, and then it was gone forever.

And Lila? She lived a peaceful life, free from the curse of the mansion. She had faced her own reflection and had learned that the true power lay within her own heart.