Suddenly:
A whisper.A voice from behind the mirror.
"You found the equation. Now finish the mirror."
Vicky froze."Uh. I'm 95% sure mirrors aren't supposed to talk, right? Right?"
Meera was already scanning the frame. She felt under the edges, pulled back the wooden panel—and behind it was a tiny metal compartment, locked with a keypad.
Three digits.
That's it.
Clue Montage
Meera looked at the half-solved Rubik's Cube.
Each side had three different numbers highlighted with faded red stickers:
Red: 7
Blue: 1
White: 9
She punched in 719.
The metal clicked.The compartment opened.
Inside:A note. A map. And a single name scrawled in ink:
"Darshan."
Meanwhile, In Mercer's Parallel Thread
Mercer was sitting across a middle-aged man wearing thick glasses and a T-shirt that said:"I AM A SIMULATION. DEAL WITH IT."
Darshan.
"Why did you send me my own childhood photo?" Mercer asked.
Darshan looked up, smiled nervously, and said:
"You don't remember me, do you?"
"I'm guessing I should?"
Darshan slid a folder across the table.
Inside:Photos of Mercer. At ages 5, 10, 15…All taken in 2026, 2027, 2028.
"But that's the future—"Mercer choked.
Darshan nodded."That's when we met. And when you vanished. You're part of the Mirror Equation too, my friend."
End Scene
Back at Meera's house, she sat with the note. It read:
"Darshan holds the 'other side.' The mirror isn't just a portal. It's a recorder. It captures all versions of you.
Finish the sequence. Before someone else does.
Papa"
And beneath it, scribbled faintly:
"Mercer is the key. But only if he remembers. If not… God help us all."
Next Chapter Tease (22):
Mercer's memories begin to fragment—he starts to remember versions of events that haven't happened yet.
Vicky, convinced they're in some low-budget Christopher Nolan plot, tries to keep it together with snacks and sarcasm.
Meera and Vicky track Darshan… but someone else is tracking them.