Chapter 4: Who's the beauty in the mirror

Next to the bed was a French window with stained glass, over six feet high. Moonlight streamed in through the window and illuminated the bed Miho was laying on. On the bed lay an ethereal beauty with long pink hair with a pair of fox ears with pink fur poking out from it. Her feline eyes shut peacefully as her C - cup bust slowly rose and fell indicating that she was really sleeping. White delicate skin as smooth as jade lay softly beneath the sheets.

Fae switched his view and could now see a birds eye view of the entire room. In fact if he wants to push himself, as a soul bound to a system, he could have view the entire Mirage city all the while being able to spot a specific grain of sand out from trillions. It's just that, he doesn't dare to, 'cause knowing Miho, she'll be even more dependent on him.

As he was muling over the matter of Miho's drastically changed appearance, the beauty slowly opened her eyes and stared straight into space, startling Fae. It wasn't just Miho's sudden awakening that startled him, it was the fact that she was staring straight at him. At least where is point of view was.

(Fae?) Miho thought as she sat up. (Is that you staring at me?)

Ignoring his nonexistent thumping heart, Fae responded the same as usual. [What makes you say that?]

As Fae replied directly to her mind, he secretly changed his view point towards the left, but was still followed by the watchful eyes of Miho. As if she could see him. Which was impossible.

(I just felt like my whole body was being licked by an invisible tongue. So I stared at where my instincts are telling me the source's from.) Miho spoke as she blushed in embarrassment. Hearing her own description, made her realize she spoke of Fae like some creep. So she quickly corrected. (I-if it's you…t-then I-I s-suppose it's not that bad.) She muttered in a low voice but Fae heard it.

Fae: [...]

(U-um Fae?) Miho muttered as she stopped herself from continuing turning her head towards where her instincts told her the source of the gaze originated from.

[Fascinating.] Fae's voice sounded excited. [It appears that after the body tempering pill, purification pill and the soul cleansing pill were taking by you, not only your appearance,but even you physical, spiritual and intellectual characteristics has been changed. It's almost like you were reborn!]

(But I don't feel any different though?)(Miho)

[Look in the mirror.]

.

.

.

There was a heavy silence. The room was originally silent from the beginning but now the tension could be cut with a knife.

Jade hands clenched into fists until knuckles turned white. White pristine molars gritted against each other, so hard that a screeching sound was almost heard. The twin peaks kept undulating as rapid intake of oxygen could be heard in the room.

Miho clutched her chest, just over her heart as she seemed to having a panic attack.

Fae noticed all the signs of her impending panic attack but made no move to calm her down. They were about to embark on a life changing journey together, so Miho's trauma about her appearance has got to go or it'll be detrimental to both herself and the people around her. Honestly, Fae just wanted to see her overcome her past and move on, but for the past six years he's been watching her, it seemed like as long as the psychological shadow of her experience in the lab is not overcome, it'll slowly erode her will to live. Fae being the only pillar of support for her right now felt that this issue needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. And what else was the best time other than right now. After all, her body had just…

(Fae.)

A monotonous voice resounded in their telepathic link. Devoid of life and emotion. (What's the meaning of this?)

[Look in the mirror] Fae replied bluntly. He knew he needed to put his foot down. To Miho, Fae is the only thing akin to a parent in her life. So Fae's words has a great impact on her.

[I said, Look. In. The. Mirror.]

Word for word crashed into Miho's ears completely shaking her world to its very core. It was as if the fragile wall she had built to protect herself over the years was shattered to pieces by the one person she thought would never betray her.

Fae betrayed her?

No, impossible! But…

S-she said…

L-l-look...in t-the m-m-m-m- NO!

NO

NO

NO

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!

SHUT UUUUUUUUPPPPPPP!!!

Although Fae couldn't read her mind, but he could tell from her expression that Miho was having a mental breakdown. But he knew he Couldn't back down here. Miho was at critical point in her recovery that could either make or break her. And would make sure she got through it safe and sound.

[Unveil it Miho.]

Those words were like an orchestra in Miho's ears as she stared across the room at a six feet tall object obscured by a thick black cloth covering every inch of it. As if the person who put it there was afraid of even a small part of the object poking out from the sides. On its surface was dust particles, as if it hadn't been touched or moved for years. And the edges of the cloth also showed signs of aging as the threads woven along the edges had begun to unravel in a messy way.

Miho stared at the cloaked object for a long time as if she could see beneath that aging black cloth, but her feet refused to move.

[Trust me Miho,]

Suddenly, Fae's voice turned soft as he persuaded. Hearing Fae's soft voice once again, Miho shed tears as she rushed towards the cloaked object.

Yes, Fae would never betray me. What was I thinking doubting Fae?! Yes, if Fae says it's time to get a look at myself in the mirror, then that's what I'll do! I-irrespective of…

No! As long as Fae is with me, nothing else matters! Even this body or my mental health, they are all irrelevant compared to Fae.

A strong determination was born in the mind of Miho, contrary to what Fae had in mind for her independence.

She stood in front of the cloaked object and in one smooth motion yanked the black cloth out of the way. What stood beneath the cloth was a six feet tall, old, antique mirror. It was the only mirror in the house that wasn't smashed by herself. It's not like the mirror held any sentimental value to her, on the contrary, she wanted to smash it to pieces back then, but Fae intervened and after some coaxing, she tightly sealed up the mirror from view.

Staring back at her through the mirror was an insanely beautiful fox woman with skin smooth as jade. Her pink fox ears, with the tips dipped in white, grew out from her head naturally, not like it was stitched on. Her feline eyes drew horizontally to the side of her face, looking extremely seductive. It is estimated that just her gaze alone is enough to make one fall in love. Natural pink hair fell all the way down to her waist, silky and smooth. 

Shaky hands slowly reached for the bewitching face, but was met with cold glass.

As if coming to a realization, Miho's eyes widen as she hurriedly touched her face.

No one knows what she thought at that moment, when she saw the person in the mirror imitated her movements, tears fell from her from her usually indifferent eyes. She cried and cried. Wept bitterly for god knows how long, with snot and tears running from her nose and mouth. Very unladylike of her. But that didn't stop her from venting out all her grievances from the past six years in the form of snot and tears.

One wouldn't be quick to judge if they knew what she went through, in that lab, to make her hate her own body. So, seeing that she has been granted a new body by Fae, she couldn't hold back emotions any longer, so she vented it in the form of snot and tears.

These emotions have been bottled up for the past six years and Fae was keenly aware of but chose to say nothing. This wasn't because he didn't care, no, if anything, he was the one that cared most as he knew what bottling up your emotions can do. Unfortunately, there are limited ways to carry out psychological reformation when you her just a consciousness without a body.

It was because of this that Fae let her vent all her grievances by breaking down in a pool of snot and tears.

Unsightly? Have you ever seen a fox lady with bewitching beauty break down in front of you? It's enough to move any man to cry tears of blood.

.

.

.

No one knew how long she cried, or when she stopped crying. The only reminder of her previous outburst were her red eyes that felt dry and slightly itchy.

(Thank you.) Miho murmured in her head. She didn't say who she thanked, but there were some things that didn't need words to convey.

[Alright, since you are all done moping, we can move on to the next step of my, "how to escape from this planet in one piece before being part of a super nova" plan.]

(The name of your plan sucks!)(Miho)

[Says the girl who took four years to realize that her plan was a bust] (Fae)

(Low blow Fae. Low blow)(Miho)

[Find a comfortable position Miho, what I'm about to tell might shake your worldview entirely]

Miho was slightly puzzled by what Fae had just said. Is what he was about to say really that shocking? She was able to cope with knowing that her body was host to a soul parasitizing off a system, who was parasitizing off her. If she can be okay with that, what else could shock her to the extent her worldview would change?

No matter what she thought, she still headed for her bed, but not before taking one last look at her bewitching reflection in the mirror.

Miho sat obediently by the edge of the bed. She closed her eyes as if contemplating something.

(Okay, I'm relaxed.)

[Miho, I'm afraid to say I've been hiding some things from you.] Fae started with.

(Doesn't matter. Knowing Fae, you must have kept it from me for my good, right?)

[R-right!]

(Then it's okay, there is nothing for me to be sad about)

[O-okay. I have to confess the way you are so accepting towards the fact that I kept things from you is slightly disturbing] Fae said as he got down to business. [Anyway, let's start from the system.]

Only that sentence alone left Miho frozen in nervousness.

The system she possesses has always been an unfantomable existence to her. Even Fae,whose soul was bound to the system, couldn't figure out a thing about this system. But now Fae seems to have found out a clue of what the system actually is.

Miho sat up straighter. This proves she had started taking this conversation more seriously.

[From the very day I awoke in this state, I have been steadily trying to glean into what this system was, if there is any like it, or why choose you to be bound to. And over the years I've made breakthroughs. Luckily this system seems to be an older version so it hasn't gained that much sentience. The system within you is one of a whole.] Fae paused for dramatic effect, but seeing Miho take it more seriously, he could only sigh inwardly. [As for what the origins of system is, I am still in the dark. But what is this system? The system is one of a whole. A simple fracture of whole puzzle. At least that's what I can find from the knowledge contained in its files.]

Miho's brain stuttered for a moment, too many questions popped up in her mind simultaneously rendering her incapable of making coherent speech.

(O-one of m-many?)(Miho)

[Correct. Unfortunately Miho, you are not the only one in possession of a system in the universe. In fact, there are millions of users around the universe. Although many, but still extremely rare.]

Author's Note:

Dun! Dun!! Duuuuuuunnnnn!!!

What is this?! A prelude to an intergalactic battle between multiple system users?!! One word, CLIFFHANGER!!!