The temple had never been this loud.
Inside the Mirror world, Eunwoo stood at the edge of the lake, watching the reflections ripple wildly across the water.
Torches.
Shouting.
Steel clashing against steel.
Every surface of the temple seemed to reflect chaos now.
"Wow," Eunwoo muttered.
"That escalated quickly."
Just a few hours ago, the temple had been quiet.
Priests praying.
Guards walking their patrols.
Constance humming while she cleaned the floor.
Now—
Dermouth soldiers were flooding through the courtyard.
The two "pilgrims" stood near the open gate, shouting orders to the incoming troops.
"Secure the hall!"
"Find the Mirror!"
Eunwoo sighed.
"Very subtle."
Temple guards rushed forward to stop them.
But there weren't many guards inside the temple.
Most of the kingdom's soldiers were stationed at the city walls, expecting a siege.
Not an attack from the inside.
Which meant the temple had become the weakest point.
And Dermouth knew it.
The battle spread quickly through the courtyard.
Shouts echoed through the stone corridors.
Steel rang against shields.
Lanterns were knocked over.
Flames flickered along the walls.
Inside the Mirror world, Eunwoo watched everything with narrowed eyes.
He wasn't afraid.
He couldn't exactly die again inside a mirror.
But he was… irritated.
"Humans are exhausting."
All this destruction just to steal one object.
And unfortunately—
That object was him.
Inside the temple hall, priests scrambled to hide sacred objects.
One elderly priest rushed toward the Mirror pedestal.
"Protect the relic!" he shouted.
Two guards quickly positioned themselves in front of it.
Spears ready.
But more footsteps were already approaching.
Dermouth soldiers.
Too many.
The temple guards tightened their grip on their weapons.
Eunwoo leaned closer to the reflection.
"Well… this is going badly."
Across the city, alarm bells rang endlessly.
People rushed through the streets.
Soldiers ran toward the palace.
Messengers rode through the gates.
War had begun.
And somewhere among the chaos—
Constance was walking back toward the temple.
Step.
Tap.
Step.
Tap.
Her hearing had caught the bells almost immediately.
The sound had woken her from sleep.
She had recognized it right away.
Alarm bells.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her walking stick.
"What happened…?"
Even without sight, she could feel the tension in the city.
People running.
Doors slamming.
Distant shouting.
Her pace quickened.
Step.
Tap.
Step.
Tap.
Eunwoo, watching from the Mirror world, saw her reflection appear at the edge of the temple grounds.
He froze.
"…wait."
Of all the places she could go right now—
She was coming here.
Toward the fighting.
Toward the soldiers.
Toward the Mirror.
Eunwoo groaned.
"No, no, no."
"Wrong direction."
But of course she couldn't hear him.
Humans rarely listened to mirrors.
Back in the temple courtyard, the Dermouth army had pushed past the first defenders.
More soldiers poured through the open gate.
The two spies guided them quickly.
"The Mirror is in the central hall."
"Move!"
Dozens of armored soldiers rushed toward the temple entrance.
Inside the Mirror world, Eunwoo clenched his jaw.
This was becoming a real problem.
If they reached the hall—
They would surround the Mirror completely.
And once an army decided to carry something away…
It was difficult to stop them.
Eunwoo rubbed his forehead.
"I really hate moving houses."
Constance reached the temple gates just as another clash of steel echoed through the courtyard.
She froze.
Her head turned sharply.
Listening.
Too many footsteps.
Too many voices.
None of them familiar.
Her expression slowly changed.
"…soldiers?"
The smell of smoke drifted through the air.
Someone shouted nearby.
"Dermouth forces inside the temple!"
Constance's grip tightened around her walking stick.
Dermouth.
The enemy kingdom.
Her heart started beating faster.
And then—
She heard something else.
A voice.
One of the spies.
"The Mirror is inside!"
Constance turned toward the sound immediately.
Her breathing became steady.
Focused.
The temple hall was behind them.
The Mirror was there.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward.
Step.
Tap.
Step.
Tap.
Inside the Mirror world, Eunwoo saw her reflection moving toward the courtyard entrance.
He stared in disbelief.
"…is she serious?"
An entire enemy army had entered the temple.
And the blind girl with a broom had decided to walk directly toward it.
Eunwoo covered his face.
"This girl…"
She wasn't thinking about armies.
Or war.
Or spies.
She was thinking about one thing.
Protecting the temple.
Protecting the Mirror.
Because that was her job.
And she took it seriously.
Even now.
Eunwoo lowered his hands slowly.
His expression had changed.
The humor was still there.
But something else had appeared behind it.
Concern.
"Yeah…"
He sighed quietly.
"This is going to get complicated."