Was the Magic Mirror really found that easily? Or was it because the Magic Mirror only responded to the Queen that she hadn't taken extra precautions?
If that was truly the case, Leona was sincerely grateful that she possessed the ability to alter her appearance, though it was a pity this ability was limited to this instance.
Leona looked at the Magic Mirror in front of her with great interest. The Magic Mirror had neither eyes nor a mouth; its speech borrowed the mouth of Figreno reflected within it.
Had she not witnessed far more terrifying things before, she might have actually felt frightened.
From what the Magic Mirror implied, the princess's heart possessed the power to preserve eternal youth. Was this also what the King wanted?
"Then how should I get Anna's heart?" Leona asked, calculating in her mind how to steer the topic toward the King and the Shadows without exposing herself.
These were the two things she was most eager to know at the moment.
What was it that the King wanted—what Anna's mother had left for her—and what were the Shadows? Where did they come from?
"You are not the Queen."
Inside the mirror, Figreno knitted her brows and scrutinized Leona from top to bottom.
"An ability to shape-shift... It seems you are an intruder." Figreno laughed sinisterly.
Leona froze on the spot and could not help facepalming three times in succession. She had considered the possibility of being exposed, but she had not expected it to happen so quickly.
"Don't be nervous, outsider. As long as you maintain the Queen's appearance, I cannot speak lies to you. I think we can cooperate. You wish to escape, while I... wish for freedom."
Figreno's eyes turned pitch-black, resembling a bottomless black hole, just like Leona's own hollow eye.
Leona's eyes lit up. It seemed this trip had not been in vain.
"Mr. Magic Mirror, of course I can cooperate with you, but before that, can you answer my questions?"
"Of course. However, since you are not the true Queen, I can only permit you to ask me three questions, and these three questions can only be related to this instance. Nevertheless, you still must grant me my freedom; otherwise, the Main God will punish you," Figreno inside the mirror said with a half-smile.
This single short sentence contained a wealth of information.
How did the Magic Mirror know about the Main God and outsiders? And whose power was binding its freedom?
However, none of these mysteries pertained to the instance, so even if Leona wanted to ask, she was helpless to do so.
Still, three questions regarding the instance were a fair deal.
"What is the item left behind by Anna's mother?" Leona seized the opportunity to ask her first question immediately, not wanting to be escorted out of the room at a crucial moment.
Figreno wiggled three fingers, folding one down under Leona's gaze.
"Breya left behind authority and power. But she did not love the King, so the King only obtained power, while authority remains in the hands of the princess. Power is the King's scepter; acquiring it will grant you strength beyond ordinary mortals. As for authority, I can only say it is with the princess."
"Mr. Magic Mirror, you answered two questions," Leona reminded him. Although this was information she wanted to know, she was unwilling to lose an opportunity to ask another question because of it.
The Magic Mirror seemed to see through Leona's thoughts and covered its mouth with a chuckle.
"I know. I can guarantee that the direct answer to your question is truthful, but the extra bonus information may be true... or it may be false."
What a twisted sense of humor. Leona did not understand how doing this benefited the Magic Mirror's freedom.
"Who are 'They' at night? Mr. Magic Mirror, I think you understand what I mean," Leona asked further.
Inside the mirror, Figreno folded down a second finger.
"Of course. They are the symbol of authority. Whoever commands authority gains Their loyalty. But remember, darkness has blanketed the entire Fairy Tale Kingdom, and the authority of this world is being eroded by darkness. When darkness completely consumes this world, the person holding authority will be bound to death."
Hey, hey... If that's the case, isn't this instance way too difficult for a newcomer like me?
Leona could only hope that this world would not be consumed by darkness so quickly—at least not before she cleared the instance.
"Well then, you have one last question remaining, Little... Red... Riding... Hood."
Hearing what the Magic Mirror said next, Leona's pupils dilated instantly. Was this Magic Mirror a prophet or something? How did it know everything?
Just as she was frozen in shock, Figreno inside the mirror transformed into Leona's appearance.
A red cloak, golden hair, one eye shining like sunlight, and the other hollow as darkness.
Leona could not help swallowing hard. Seeing herself in such a situation stirred a trace of fear within her.
"Little Red Riding Hood" continued to wiggle her finger, reminding her, "You have one last question left."
Leona fell into deep thought. The question had to be related to the instance. If that was the case, she wondered if this would work.
She coughed twice, took a step forward, and said:
"Mr. Magic Mirror, my final question is: what is darkness?"
Inside the mirror, Leona's expression shifted, and her entire figure seemed to freeze, as if very surprised that Leona would ask this question.
But immediately following that, a wave of undulating laughter echoed into Leona's ears.
A headache began to split her mind, far more intense than any she had experienced before. It felt as though her bones were fracturing—no, it was not just her head; her entire body was in agonizing pain.
She watched her reflection in the mirror in terror as her body gradually began to carbonize.
But inside the mirror stood Leona! While outside the mirror stood Figreno!
She hurriedly reverted to her true appearance, but everything taking place inside the mirror was reflected back onto her physical body.
One of her arms gradually turned black—not simply changing color, but as if transforming her into a different species altogether.
The cloak! Right, the cloak!
Leona remembered her talisman. She quickly unrolled the rolled-up cloak and draped it over herself.
The pain vanished in an instant, and Leona's hand returned to normal, becoming as white as a snow lotus.
"Darkness is darkness; it accompanies your side."
Leona snapped her head up. The reflection of herself in the mirror smiled as it folded down the last finger. Yet the reflection continued to be eroded by darkness until it was completely shrouded, fading away like a shadow under the setting sun.
"Leona, remember your promise: grant me my freedom."
"Any mirror in the royal palace can be me. You only need to obtain a single piece, even a fragment, and take me out in the end."
The Magic Mirror's voice echoed in the room. No one appeared in the mirror anymore—even with Leona standing right there, nothing was reflected.
Leona let out a sigh, uncertain whether finding the Magic Mirror this time was a blessing or a curse.
She pulled out the diary hidden under her skirt, wanting to record what she had learned today.
However, when she opened the diary, a line of red text inside stood out with striking clarity:
Do not be consumed by darkness!
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