Inside the luxurious bedroom, warm golden light glowed over the vanity table lined with glass jars, lipsticks, and high-end cosmetic boxes. My gently applied her moisturizing cream, her pale hands gliding softly across her cheeks. Beside the cream jar, a blush-pink sachet released a faint rose fragrance, filling the room with the elegance of a blooming garden.

  She gazed at her reflection and smiled, eyes shimmering with dreamy confidence.

  – “Trúc Di?n… he’ll be mine. He’ll come to me one day—begging for a chance…”

  She tilted her head and leaned closer to the mirror to apply lip balm, her plump lips catching the soft light. But in that exact moment—

  A translucent hand, as if sculpted from shimmering glass, with unnaturally long, twisted, razor-sharp fingers, shot out from inside the mirror and clamped over her face.

  A freezing chill ran down her spine. My felt her skin stretching painfully, as if being peeled from the bone. She screamed in terror:

  – “Help me! There’s a monster! Help me!”

  She thrashed wildly, fighting desperately, but could not break free from the monstrous force pulling her toward the mirror.

  Her screams jolted Vú N?m, who rushed into the room — only to freeze in shock as she saw My gripping the fixed mirror with both hands, pressing her face against it with violent force.

  – “Miss My! What are you doing?! Why are you pushing your face against the mirror like that?”

  Before the words even settled, Mrs. Lan and Mr. Quy arrived. Both of them went pale at the sight of their daughter trembling and smashing her face against the mirror until her nose bled.

  – “My! Wake up! It’s us — Mom and Dad!” Mrs. Lan cried out in panic.

  – “What’s wrong with her?! Why is she doing this?!” Mr. Quy grabbed My’s arms, but she struggled like a madwoman.

  After a frantic struggle, her parents and Vú N?m finally managed to pull her away from the mirror. My burst into tears and threw herself into her mother’s arms.

  – “There was a monster! It tried to drag me inside the mirror — I swear I saw its hand!”

  Mr. Quy frowned deeply, his voice trembling with worry.

  – “Good heavens… is her psychological disorder coming back again? I’ll call Dr. Tùng first thing in the morning.”

  My shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face.

  – “No! I’m telling the truth! There was a hand — ice cold — it was pulling me in!”

  Vú N?m held her trembling shoulders, trying to soothe her, though her own voice wavered.

  – “No, sweetheart… we all saw you push your face into the mirror yourself. There was no hand.”

  My collapsed to the floor, her entire body shaking. Her heart pounded erratically as she stared at the mirror stained with cream and lip balm.

  In the glass surface, her reflection seemed to still be… smiling—

  even though My had already turned her face away.

  Inside the endless corridor of repeating toilet rooms, Join ran in terror, unable to find a single exit. The white tiled walls reflected the pale yellow lights, slick with a sheen of moisture. He turned through room after room — yet everything remained identical:

  The same sink.

  The same mirror fogged with condensation.

  The same dripping sound — tap… tap… tap… — echoing like a countdown in his skull.

  A suffocating tightness filled his chest. Cold sweat trickled down his spine. The damp, heavy air carried the metallic scent of chlorine, burning his throat with every breath. Each frantic step he took echoed deep into the corridor — then bounced back at him.

  As if someone else was running behind him.

  In perfect sync.

  The sight dragged him back into a childhood he had tried to bury:

  Those times he was bullied and locked inside the school restroom for entire class periods. The smell of mold, the flickering light, the dripping water from the ceiling — those sensations haunted him for years.

  And now, in this endless hallway, they returned — more vivid and real than ever.

  Suddenly, up ahead, a showerhead sputtered — pshhh… — and burst into a cascade of water. Droplets scattered into shimmering streaks under the lights. But then, unnervingly, the water began to gather, swirling, twisting, merging into a massive figure

  A creature made entirely of water.

  Hundreds of tiny spiraling eddies glimmered across its surface like countless unblinking eyes staring directly at him.

  Join froze. His throat tightened, words dying before they formed. His trembling hand raised his wand; a faint spark shot out, passing harmlessly through the creature’s liquid body.

  – “No way… it’s made of water… you can’t attack water with physical magic…” he whispered, voice choking.

  From within the swirling mass, two elongated arms extended outward — formed entirely from rushing currents, powerful and ice-cold. They seized his neck and squeezed.

  The bone-deep chill numbed his skin. His vision blurred.

  Join struggled, screaming in helpless fear.

  Outside, Professor Charles and Mr. Tài heard his desperate cries and burst through the door. What they saw left them speechless—

  Join was strangling himself with the shower hose, eyes rolled back, face swollen red, limbs shaking uncontrollably.

  Mr. Tài and Charles rushed forward, prying the hose from his neck. Charles slapped his cheek sharply:

  – “Wake up, Join! Why would you try to hurt yourself?!”

  Hi?u, Mr. Tài’s son, ran in and helped unwrap the hose. Once freed, Join collapsed onto the floor, panting, his voice trembling.

  – “There was a demon… right here… it tried to kill me…”

  Mrs. Nga scanned the room anxiously.

  – “When we came in, you were strangling yourself with the hose. There wasn’t any demon…”

  Before they could react, another scream erupted — from Anh Ph??ng and Mary’s room. D?ng slammed against the door, shouting:

  – “Mr. Tài! Do you have the spare key? They locked the door from inside!”

  Hi?u sprinted to the glass cabinet, grabbed the spare keys, and unlocked the door — only for everyone to freeze in shock.

  Anh Ph??ng and Mary were both dunking their faces into the large aquarium. Water splashed everywhere as Charles and D?ng lunged forward to drag them out.

  Anh Ph??ng coughed violently, face pale as chalk.

  – “Something pulled us under the water… we tried to swim up but couldn’t…”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Mary collapsed to the floor, hand clutching her chest, still trembling.

  – “We were sleeping… and suddenly we were dragged to the bottom of an ocean… it was freezing… dark… we couldn’t breathe…”

  Hi?u frowned, then shook his head:

  – “Maybe you two were sleepwalking? You might’ve walked over here and… dipped your faces into the tank.”

  Mr. Tài glanced between Join — still slumped on the floor and shaking — and the two soaked girls.

  – “So Join was also sleepwalking? I read online that sleepwalkers can move around the house without realizing what they’re doing.”

  The atmosphere in the mansion grew heavier, thick with a damp, icy chill—

  like the breath of the ocean at midnight slipping into every corner of the house.

  My’s eyes were vacant, her breaths sharp and shaky as tears and sweat streamed down her cheeks. Mrs. Lan trembled while wiping the blood from her daughter’s nose, her voice cracking:

  – “My… it’s okay now. Calm down, sweetie. Mom and Dad are right here…”

  But My didn’t hear a single word.

  She kept staring at the mirror on her vanity, chest rising and falling rapidly, her gaze distant and hollow. In her mind, the horrific scene replayed with brutal clarity — the translucent, ice–cold hand, its twisted fingers clawing at her face as if trying to peel off her skin, trying to rip away the beauty she had protected all her life.

  Her face still burned. It felt as though the places that monstrous hand had touched were smoldering, branded with an invisible wound. She reached up to touch her cheek, but immediately recoiled with a panicked cry:

  – “It’s… it’s still here! That hand… it’s clinging to my face…”

  Vú N?m quickly grabbed her hands, afraid My might scratch herself again.

  – “Miss My, calm down… there’s no hand at all. Your face is still beautiful, everything is completely normal…”

  Mr. Quy stood frozen for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

  – “If this keeps happening… I’m calling the doctor tomorrow. She might really be traumatized.”

  My continued trembling, eyes locked on the mirror. The reflection seemed distorted; she saw her own face smiling — but not her smile.

  It was too perfect.

  Too cold.

  Too empty.

  A smile that mocked her… as if the beauty she worshipped was laughing at her downfall.

  Curling up on the bed, she clutched the blanket with trembling hands. The image of that monstrous hand rising from the mirror replayed again and again — its twisted fingers, sharp as blades, reaching for her. Her heart hammered wildly, cold sweat gathering across her forehead.

  Suddenly, a woman’s voice whispered beside her ear — a soft, chilling laugh:

  – “You’re afraid of losing your beauty, aren’t you? Afraid of aging… of becoming ugly…? I can make that your reality… heeheehee…”

  My’s eyes widened. She darted her gaze across the dim room. The warm yellow light cast long, shivering shadows along the walls. Her terrified eyes paused on the painting of the village maiden hanging above the dresser.

  And in that instant, the maiden in the painting turned her head — and smiled.

  A twisted, grotesque smile straight at her.

  My screamed, pointing at the painting with a trembling finger:

  – “There’s a ghost! It’s smiling at me — Mom! Dad!”

  Mr. Quy hurriedly turned toward the painting, examining it closely. It was nothing more than a simple artwork — the maiden in her red y?m blouse, hair neatly coiled, smiling gently and innocently. He frowned and turned back.

  – “Now you’re seeing things in the painting too? I need to take you for an MRI.”

  My thrashed, crying out:

  – “No! I’m not going to the hospital! I don’t want to!”

  Mrs. Lan hugged her tightly, voice trembling:

  – “Okay, okay… you don’t have to go. Just breathe… we’re here. No one will hurt you.”

  Vú N?m rubbed her back gently.

  – “You’re at home, dear — this is the safest place. Everything is fine.”

  But as she accidentally glanced at the vanity mirror — strewn with skincare and lip balm — her breath caught.

  A cold wave crashed through her.

  Reflected in the mirror was a massive shadow — the shape of a colossal serpent wearing a crown. Its jaws were open wide, rows of razor–sharp metallic teeth glinting under the light. Two long fangs curled outward, and its split tongue flicked like a red spear between its jaws. Its eyes glowed a fierce, venomous green… staring directly at her.

  Vú N?m’s heart nearly stopped. She stuttered:

  – “That’s… the Serpent King…”

  Mr. Quy spun around, incredulous.

  – “One hallucinating daughter is enough — now you too? Really, Vú N?m?”

  Hearing that, My scrambled toward Vú N?m, clutching her arm desperately, tears streaming:

  – “Vú saw it too, right? It’s real! That monster dragged me into the mirror!”

  Vú N?m trembled but forced a weak smile, her voice hoarse:

  – “I–I must be old… my eyes playing tricks… don’t think too much, dear…”

  But in the dim sheen of the mirror behind them,

  the Serpent King remained.

  Its emerald eyes pulsed faintly — watching the entire room.

  Mr. Quy grabbed his phone and dialed Dr. Tùng’s number, his face tense. A familiar deep voice sounded on the other end:

  – “What’s wrong, Mr. Quy? Why are you calling me at this hour?”

  He glanced at his daughter curled up under the blanket, then replied quickly:

  – “My is having hallucinations again. She said the painting on the wall… smiled at her. And that a hand reached out from the mirror…!”

  Dr. Tùng stiffened, his tone turning urgent:

  – “This may not be just visual hallucinations anymore. It could be a severe perceptual disorder — more serious than last time. I’ll head over right away. Tomorrow morning, she must undergo full neurological tests — that’s the only way we can determine the exact cause and create a proper treatment plan.”

  Mr. Quy nodded, speaking fast:

  – “Please come now. I’ll prepare a room for you to rest. In the morning, help me take My to the hospital.”

  Meanwhile, Mrs. Lan remained at the bedside, gently comforting her daughter:

  – “Calm down, sweetheart. Mom and Dad and Vú N?m are here. No one can hurt you…”

  But then she paused, inhaling lightly.

  A soft, sweet fragrance drifted through the room — the delicate scent of roses.

  She turned to ask:

  – “Vú N?m, where did you buy this essential oil? The smell is lovely.”

  Vú N?m shook her head, then looked toward the vanity table where a pale-pink embroidered sachet rested:

  – “I didn’t buy anything. That’s Miss My’s sachet. She probably ordered it online or bought it from a fragrance shop.”

  The sachet sat peacefully beside a jar of moisturizer and a lip balm, releasing its gentle floral fragrance like morning mist.

  But none of them knew — it was no ordinary sachet.

  Inside was a magical tracking chip.

  And the delicate knot on the cord, studded with tiny gemstones, housed miniature cameras — enchanted surveillance devices created exclusively by the Xà Clan, gifted to My under the guise of a “thank-you present.”

  Every sound, every movement, every breath inside the Th?o ?i?n villa was captured and transmitted straight to a high-level encrypted server.

  ---

  In a luxury apartment filled with the glow of blue holographic screens, four (Xà) Serpent Clan operatives — disguised as a “happy family” — sat watching the live feed on a massive curved display.

  H?u K? crossed his arms, smirking coldly:

  – “His Highness plays rough. A girl like her, trying to steal someone else’s man — she deserves a life-long lesson.”

  Nh? Phu sipped her lotus-flower tea, her voice soft as drifting smoke yet dripping with disdain:

  – “She still dreams of monopolizing men like His Highness? She thinks they’ll kneel and beg for her love… Ridiculous.”

  L?p Thành, munching on a piece of osmanthus cake, snorted:

  – “Even normal men would turn her down. As for His Highness of the (Xà) Serpent Clan? She’s not even in the same universe.”

  ??i Ng?c had been quiet, nibbling a slice of sweet red jujube. Suddenly, a glint of icy sharpness flashed in her eyes:

  – “I’m analyzing something. Once I’m done, I’ll report it to His Highness.”

  H?u K? turned, curious:

  – “What are you looking into?”

  ??i Ng?c smiled — a thin, precise curve like the edge of a blade:

  – “You’ll know soon. I’m almost done.”

  The blue light from the monitors reflected across their faces — cold, predatory, filled with unspoken danger.

  Inside the room where the wooden floor was still soaked with water, Anh Ph??ng and Mary had yet to recover from the panic. Mrs. Nga hurriedly wiped them down with towels, her voice trembling with worry:

  – “Go change your clothes, girls. You’re drenched. You’ll catch a cold like this.”

  Join sat blankly on the living-room floor, his clothes just as soaked. Professor Charles stepped out carrying a dry towel. He began gently drying Join’s hair as he spoke softly:

  – “Join, wait a moment. Mrs. T? is making tea in the kitchen. Drink something warm to steady yourself.”

  Suddenly, old school memories surged through Join’s mind — back to the days when classmates locked him inside the school bathroom, leaving him alone in that suffocating darkness. His hands trembled as he grabbed Charles’ sleeve, his voice cracking:

  – “Professor… those images and feelings just now reminded me of my past. My classmates used to treat me horribly. They trapped me… and left me in that filthy, terrifying place…”

  Charles placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, his gaze full of empathy:

  – “Terrible memories may linger, but they’re in the past now, Join. You must live for the present — and for your future. When I was in boarding middle school, I was also a victim of bullying. But eventually, I learned to fight back — to make them fear me so they’d never dare try again.”

  Join lowered his head, eyes reddened:

  – “But I wasn’t like that… I was weak. I couldn’t fight back. I just endured the insults and attacks in silence… I was a coward.”

  Charles smiled gently and patted his shoulder:

  – “What matters is that you survived it. And now, you must live a life worthy of yourself.”

  ---

  At the Gothic mansion, Erion sat silently on the black velvet sofa, staring into the Black Crystal Mirror as he observed the entire conversation between Charles and Join.

  In the mirror’s violet-black reflection, nostalgia flickered in his eyes.

  He remembered his childhood on the Planet of Shadows — mocked by others his age as “the one without father or mother.”

  He had been born not of bloodline, but as a black diamond, crystallized from the planet’s core — pure energy given form.

  The only one who reached out to him, raised him, and taught him was Satan, the Demon King — the father who had shaped him into a great warlord.

  But youth had made him arrogant. Reckless. Hungry for power.

  He once dared to desire overthrowing the very man who nurtured him.

  The price was imprisonment in the Inferno Abyss for a thousand years — darkness, guilt, and loneliness encasing his soul like chains.

  Now, after meeting the black diamond destined for him by the universe, his heart learned love for the first time — and gratitude, and compassion.

  Trang, seeing the melancholy in his eyes, quietly sat beside him and rested her head on his strong shoulder:

  – “Everyone has a past, Erion. What matters is how we choose to live our present… and whether we’re willing to change for the better.”

  Erion smiled, his expression softening as he pulled her close:

  – “I’ve learned much… ever since I met you. But those who committed sins… must pay the price. I will never forgive them.”

  The violet-black glow from the Black Crystal Mirror shivered faintly — reflecting the resolute, cold expression of General Erion, the Black Diamond who had awakened from the depths of his own soul.

  He had risen from the ruins of his own mistakes. Now, he could clearly see the line between justice and evil — and he carried the unwavering resolve to punish those who refused to repent.