Kai’s journey through the Glitched World had always been marked by conflict. He had faced enemies in every corner, navigated endless perils, and confronted the very essence of his being. But this new task before him—piecing together the shattered mirror of reality—was something far more dangerous. The world, as he knew it, had begun to splinter, revealing fractures that reached far deeper than he ever could have imagined.

  The Glitched World itself had started to change. Reality was no longer a stable constant. Every time he blinked, the scenery seemed different. People he had known, friends, allies—were starting to act differently, speak differently. Were they still the same? Or had something… someone… altered them?

  This feeling of unease had become all too familiar. It was the sensation of being watched, of existing in a space where nothing could be trusted—not even time itself. Kai could feel the ripples of change with every step he took. His own heart felt out of sync with the rhythm of the world.

  As he walked through the streets of the capital city, now a place of silent confusion and chaos, he felt the pull of his power, the Absolute Invocation, humming deep within him. It was as though the very fabric of reality itself was calling out to him, seeking resolution. But there was no clear path forward. His decisions, once guided by his understanding of the world, now seemed insufficient. He had been a warrior, a hero—he had always fought to survive and win. But this, this was different. There was no victory to be claimed. Only understanding. Only facing the abyss within himself.

  But Kai wasn’t sure how to confront the darkness that had begun to spread throughout the Glitched World. Every turn he took led to dead ends. The faces around him, once familiar, were now distorted, their expressions shifting like a nightmarish game of charades. Was it his mind playing tricks on him? Or had something worse taken root?

  He had learned long ago that the greatest enemy wasn’t an external force, but the darkness that resided within one’s soul. In this fractured world, that darkness had grown stronger. More pervasive. And as much as Kai had grown, as much as his power had increased, it wasn’t enough to protect him from the instability that gripped the very world he sought to save.

  "I can't go on like this," he muttered to himself as he approached a forgotten alley, an empty space between the towering structures that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. The shadows were deep here, darker than anywhere else. He could almost feel the weight of every misstep, every decision that had led him here. His mind flitted back to his earlier days, when the battles had seemed simpler. The world had felt more real, more tangible.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  A strange noise echoed from behind him, pulling him out of his reverie. Spinning on his heel, his hand instinctively reached for his sword, though he knew it wasn’t enough. His power, his presence in this broken world, had always been a beacon for both allies and enemies alike. But now, he wasn’t sure who stood on his side.

  As the sound grew louder, Kai prepared himself for whatever came next, only to see a figure step into the dim light. It was a woman, cloaked in tattered black robes. Her face was hidden beneath the hood, but Kai felt an undeniable familiarity.

  "You," he said, voice low but full of recognition.

  The figure stepped closer, her eyes glowing faintly beneath the shadows. "You have no idea what you're up against, Kai," she said, her voice not entirely human, yet not alien either. "The world is falling apart, and you’re wasting time searching for answers in places that have already been rewritten."

  Kai frowned, stepping back. "What do you mean by ‘rewritten’? Who are you?"

  The woman smiled cryptically, lifting her hand. "I am a piece of this world, just like you. A fragment of something much larger. And you're about to realize that everything you’ve fought for is only a small part of a much grander scheme."

  The air around them seemed to shift, the very atmosphere warping as though the world itself was rejecting her presence. Kai's instincts flared, and he could feel the familiar hum of power deep in his bones, warning him that something was off. Something beyond even his understanding was at play here.

  "You’re not going to tell me anything useful, are you?" Kai growled, his eyes narrowing. The woman’s smile only deepened.

  "Everything is interconnected," she replied cryptically. "The mirror was never meant to be whole. It was meant to be shattered. And the key to restoring it is in your hands, whether you like it or not."

  Before he could react, the woman vanished into the shadows as quickly as she had appeared. Kai stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing to process her words. A mirror shattered? Restoring it? What was she talking about? And why did her presence feel like a harbinger of something far worse?

  His thoughts swirled as the reality around him continued to warp. He could no longer trust what was real, what was true. But one thing was clear: the Glitched World was coming to a head, and no matter what path he chose, he would have to face the consequences of his actions.

  The question was: Would he be ready?