The Shadow in the Mirror

2025, Zofia Kowalska

Philosophical

Free

In a luxurious mansion filled with lonely silence, Milan's beauty hides an inner struggle and a childhood darkness that haunts her. An unexpected encounter with a police officer unveils questions about her past and unknown biological mother. A file he carries promises to reveal a dark truth, forcing her to confront buried secrets that threaten her fragile world. Will Milan break free from the cycle of darkness and discover her true self?

Milan

The protagonist, a stunningly beautiful 25-year-old woman who appears to have everything but feels a deep sense of loneliness and that something is missing in her life. She's haunted by a recurring "darkness"

Mark

A police officer who seeks out Milan with information about her biological mother and her past. He appears perceptive and aware that Milan is missing crucial pieces of her life. He seems to hold the key to unlocking the mysteries surrounding her.

Noura

Milan's favorite assistant in her design studio. She appears loyal and carries out tasks for Milan, in this instance, informing her about the unexpected police visitor. Her role seems supportive but perhaps not central to the main mystery.

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The clock had gone past midnight, and the streets, all lit up by those dim streetlights, were dead quiet, like they were witnessing the loneliness Milan felt deep down. The room she was sitting in was on the top floor of her family's huge mansion, a room packed with fancy furniture and expensive decorations, but for her, it felt more like a lonely place than anything else. A massive mirror, big enough to show her whole life, was right in front of her. She was all alone in the room, but her mind was busy with way more than just her reflection.

She, Milan, was twenty-five years old, stunningly beautiful, with a face that looked just like her mom, the one who wows everyone in the fashion world. But Milan felt like something was missing. She looked into her blue eyes that could charm anyone, but she felt like those eyes were hiding a lot. She didn't have answers to any of her questions. The eyes staring back at her in the mirror weren't just showing her face; they were showing a deep inner struggle.

Her family always called her "the perfect daughter," but that title didn't mean a thing to her. Her parents, who owned the most famous fashion brands in the world, were always busy with their businesses. And when they did remember her, it was only to coach her on how to look good or to keep her as the perfect face of the family in front of the public. Money and fame were the only things that mattered to them, and they saw her as just a tool to get more of both.

Milan knew this reality all too well, but she couldn't find the courage to stand up to it. Every time she tried to express herself, a deadly silence would shut her down, like her words were falling into empty space. She always felt like she was part of an empty picture, barely touching reality. This silence haunted her, but it also carried something else, something dark. The darkness, that darkness she'd felt her whole life, was slowly creeping into her heart and mind, until it became a part of her, a part she couldn't get rid of.

Ever since she was little, she'd felt something strange going on inside her. The darkness would appear to her every now and then in a scary way. It was like a monster watching her without doing anything, whispering things she couldn't understand in her ear. Sometimes, she'd imagine it standing behind her in the dark room or chasing her in the corners of her mind, but she never understood why. What did it want from her? And why did it seem like it knew her better than anyone else in her life?

Her thoughts suddenly stopped when she felt something weird in the air, like something heavy had settled in the room. Faint whispers were coming from somewhere far away, but she knew those voices weren't from her world. They were from her imagination. "Will you stay silent?" the voice came, this time clearer, like it was calling her from a deep place inside her mind.

Her eyes moved from the mirror to the opposite wall. It was dark, with only a dim light coming from a small window, but the light wasn't enough to chase away the darkness in the room. She started to feel something strange in her heart, something unfamiliar, like a part of her was silently screaming, searching for answers she couldn't find. "Why can't I escape?" she said in a low voice, as if talking to herself. The words fell into the air, but no one heard them except the darkness surrounding her.

The mirror stared back at her again, like it was mocking her, reflecting an image that didn't match her reality. She was beautiful, but there was a deep emptiness in her heart. Was this face the one that showed her true self? Or was it just a mask she wore every day to hide what was inside? She thought about these questions, but she avoided answering them. Every time she tried to get closer to the truth, the darkness would grow stronger, like something was watching her and following her steps, pushing her to stay in a closed circle.

She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to focus on her breathing. Everything in her life was about appearances, money, fame. But what about the truth? What about herself? Why was the darkness following her? What did it want from her? Was it pointing to something from her past? Something she had forgotten?

At that moment, she felt something else strange. It was the sound of unclear whispers, closer now, like they were coming straight from her heart. "Don't forget who you are," the voice came suddenly, and the image of the darkness returned to fill the room. She no longer saw it as an imaginary creature; it was a part of her, a missing piece. At that moment, she felt trapped. She wanted to run, but where to?

Questions kept flooding her mind, but the only answer the darkness provided was more confusing. Was the darkness guiding her? Or was it a reflection of what she was afraid to face? She felt like she was on the edge of something bigger, something she didn't have the strength to confront, but she knew that eventually, she would be forced to face this monster that haunted her imagination.

Days went by after that night Milan spent deep in thought, but they were heavy days. Even with her being busy in the world of fashion and design, the darkness still chased her, wouldn't leave her alone. Every time she closed her eyes, she'd see those blurry images, hear weird whispers creeping into her mind, like she was surrounded by a dark creature constantly watching her. But this darkness was more than just fear or imagination; it felt like a part of her, something not easy to shake off.

One morning, she was sitting in her design studio. The room was full of luxurious fabrics she'd carefully chosen, but she wasn't really focused on any of them. Her fingers ran over the pieces of cloth, but her mind was miles away. Her blue eyes were lost in space, searching for an answer to questions she still hadn't found.

While she was lost in her work, in that moment when she should've been most creative, the past was catching up to her. She felt lost between her past that she didn't remember well and the darkness of the present that covered everything. But she wasn't the only one who saw this darkness. It was trapping her, pushing her to sit in the dark corners of her mind, stopping her from moving forward.

Still, the fashion world was the only thing she could hold onto. That studio, with its colors and fabrics, was the only place that gave her a sense of safety, even though she felt that safety was fragile. Every step she took in this world led her to a deeper question: was everything she saw and lived the truth, or was there something else beneath the surface? Something she had to discover, something she was afraid to discover.

While she was deep in her thoughts, the door suddenly opened, and her favorite assistant, "Noura," came in with a serious look on her face. "Ms. Milan, there's someone who wants to see you. He says he's a police officer, and he seems important."

Milan looked at her with a puzzled expression but didn't show much interest. "Who is it?" she asked in a low voice.

"He said he has information that might be very important to you," Noura replied before quickly leaving the room, leaving Milan feeling confused.

Information that might be very important to her? Noura's words echoed in her mind. What could anyone know about her life that would make it "important"? Could this person know something that she herself didn't know? Questions piled up in her mind faster than she could answer them.

"Maybe he's just a regular person," Milan said to herself, but her heart didn't believe it. There was something unusual about this visit, something she couldn't explain. Could the person who came to see her be connected to the darkness that had started to haunt her? Was this person part of the puzzle she had been trying to escape her whole life?

She finally decided to leave the design studio and meet that officer. Maybe this was the chance she'd been waiting for to uncover some of the mysteries that were troubling her. Maybe this meeting was the first step towards solving the riddle of the darkness that haunted her.

Milan walked into the living room, where the guy Noura said was a police officer was waiting. There was something unusual in the air, like everything around her was wrapped in a mysterious vibe. The place was glowing with warm lights, but Milan felt like something was off about that moment. The officer was sitting on one of the fancy couches, his features looking young, but there was something in his eyes that hinted at a lot of experience and intelligence. He seemed like he knew more than he should.

"Good evening, Milan," Mark said, his voice calm, but the words carried a mysterious power.

"Good evening," Milan replied, but her heart was racing. There was something about this man that made her uneasy, he radiated a subtle strength, like his past and hers were intersecting in a way she couldn't understand.

"I'm Mark, a police officer, and I'm here because I need to talk to you about something that might be sensitive," Mark said, his voice low, as if he was reading her feelings without her saying a word.

"What do you want from me?" Milan asked, her tone laced with suspicion, even though she wanted to know the truth, but she was afraid that truth might be worse than she could handle.

"Do you know anything about your biological mother?" Mark asked, as if the question carried no weight, but Milan felt her heart stop suddenly. Her biological mother? That topic had been far from her life for a long time. Milan's mother was her father's current wife, and she was the one who had raised her since she was born. There was no room in her heart for that person she only knew from old pictures and stories from others. But Mark was asking about something else. He was asking about a missing piece of her life that she had no idea about.

Milan froze for a moment, not knowing how to respond. "What do you know about my mother?" she asked anxiously.

"I know you don't remember much of your past, Milan," Mark said, and continued in a serious tone, "But there are things you need to know. Things that might explain what's happening to you now, and what's happening inside you."

Milan felt a wave of fear wash over her. Was this the reason for the darkness that haunted her? Was it connected to her biological mother? Was there a dark past she knew nothing about?

"What do you mean?" she said, while those questions she'd been trying to ignore piled up in her mind again. Her eyes were fixed on Mark's face, but she couldn't find any answers there.

Mark gave a mysterious smile, then pulled a small file from his bag and placed it in front of her. "Everything will become clear soon, Milan. But you need to be ready to face the truth."

Milan took the file with trembling hands, her eyes carefully scanning the papers. Her heart was pounding, and every part of her body was tense. She knew that this moment was a turning point in her life. She was on the edge of discovering something deep and dark in her past, something she couldn't ignore anymore.

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