Chapter 10: A: Iron Seal

👉 [Previous choice]: You chose Option A – Seal the mirror face-down using Clara’s iron talisman.

Kincaid was gone. The mirror, now a dark, still pool, pulsed with a residual energy. I looked down at the iron talisman. Clara’s journal had a final, frantic sketch of it, with the words “Permanent Seal. Iron binds the veil.”

I picked it up. It was cold and heavy in my hand, intricately carved with ancient symbols. It felt like a lock, a true ending to the mirror’s strange power.

With deliberate movements, I unbolted the mirror from its pedestal. It was heavier than it looked, but with a grunt, I managed to turn it face down on the dusty cellar floor. The dark, reflective surface was now pressed against the earth.

I placed the iron talisman precisely in the center of its wooden backing, feeling a faint hum emanate from it as it made contact. It wasn’t just a physical barrier; it was a spiritual one. The mirror’s presence faded further, becoming merely an old antique, its supernatural power contained.

Suddenly, the side cellar door, where Silas and Uncle Arthur had been struggling, burst open. Silas rushed in, his eyes wide. He scanned the room, then looked at the inverted mirror, then back at me. “Kincaid? What happened?”

“The mirror took him,” I said, my voice hoarse. “He got his blood debt.”

Silas stared at the spot where Kincaid had vanished. He shuddered. “I knew it. He didn’t understand what he was dealing with.” He looked at the kit Kincaid had dropped, then at the scattered contents. “He brought a ledger. Of all his stolen relics. I saw it.”

I found it among the ritual items—a small, leather-bound ledger. Inside, Kincaid had meticulously documented his acquisitions: names, dates, methods. It was a clear record of his criminal enterprise.

“This is everything the police need,” I said, handing it to Silas. “You take this. You tell them everything. Your cooperation can help you.”

Silas nodded, clutching the ledger. He still looked terrified, but a newfound resolve entered his eyes. “He was a monster. I… I didn’t want any part of it. I’ll tell them everything.”

I led Silas out of the cellar, the musty air of the house above feeling suddenly lighter. Uncle Arthur was gone, probably having fled at the sound of the disturbance.

Outside, the first streaks of dawn were painting the sky. Silas made the call. Within minutes, police cars arrived. I explained what little I could, focusing on Kincaid’s disappearance and the evidence of his criminal activities. Silas, ledger in hand, corroborated the story, detailing Kincaid’s plans and his own reluctant involvement.

The mirror’s secret would remain ours, but Kincaid’s reign of terror was over.

➡️ Read CHAPTER 11A to continue the story