Scene 1 – Entering the Chamber

The transition was like stepping through liquid glass. The walls around Jemil and his wives rippled, their reflections caught and multiplied until it seemed like a hundred versions of themselves marched beside them. The chamber was vast, circular, every surface polished like obsidian mirrors.

A faint silver mist curled along the floor, carrying with it whispers that seemed to come from nowhere—and everywhere.

"Why do you follow him?" one whisper hissed from a reflection of Nyra, her eyes colder, sharper.

"Why do you still fight?" another sneered, coming from a mirror of the swordmaster herself.

Jemil's pulse quickened. He could feel the curse burning against his skin, the mark flaring faintly with golden heat as though reacting to the illusions. His wives shifted closer, each of them tensed, each reflection showing something slightly wrong—a crueler smile, a darker shadow in the eyes, a twisted posture.

"This floor is alive," Jemil muttered, his voice low. "It's feeding on us."

Scene 2 – The First Fractures

The swordmaster's hand hovered over her blade, her expression hard. She refused to look at her reflection, but the mirrored version of her stepped forward on its own, drawing steel with a hiss.

"You don't deserve his trust," the mirror said, voice dripping with venom. "You betrayed him once, you'll betray him again."

The real swordmaster stiffened, a flicker of pain flashing through her eyes. Jemil noticed immediately, his hand brushing against hers for the briefest second. "Ignore it. It's just trying to break you."

But the reflection didn't stop. It raised its sword in a stance identical to hers—too perfect. The chamber wasn't just showing illusions, it was forging enemies.

Across the room, Nyra snarled as her own reflection leaned against the mirrored wall lazily, taunting: "You cling to him because you fear being forgotten again. Pathetic."

The beast-wife's claws scraped against the floor, rage simmering. Jemil could see the tension building—if they broke formation, the chamber would rip them apart.

Scene 3 – Battle Against Themselves

The mirrors rippled and then shattered outward—not into shards, but into twisted doppelgängers. Each wife now faced her own distorted copy, and Jemil was confronted with one himself.

The other Jemil smirked, golden curse spreading like veins of fire across its chest. "You think you're protecting them? You're just dragging them into your downfall."

Jemil drew his blade, his breath sharp. The curse burned hotter, his reflection feeding off his doubts. His wives cried out as steel clashed against steel, claws against claws, wings against wings.

The chamber became chaos—every strike echoed a heartbeat, every mirror shiver echoed a doubt. The swordmaster clashed with her double, each strike a reminder of her past sins. Nyra fought her shadow-self with feral intensity, but every taunt hit deeper than the claws.

Jemil felt the curse flare each time his wives faltered. It wasn't just a battle of strength—it was a trial of unity.

Scene 4 – Breaking the Illusions

The swordmaster staggered, her double's blade grazing her cheek. For an instant, Jemil saw her mask slip—the guilt, the fear that maybe the reflection was right.

"Stop listening!" Jemil roared, his voice cutting through the chamber. He surged forward, parrying his reflection's blow with sheer force, his curse blazing like molten gold. "They are lies! You are not your past—you are mine, and I am yours!"

The chamber shuddered at his declaration, several reflections freezing as if weakened. The swordmaster's eyes widened, breath catching. She steadied her grip, then drove her blade forward with a cry, impaling her reflection and watching it dissolve into smoke.

Across the room, Nyra howled and tore her doppelgänger apart, flames crackling in her claws. One by one, the reflections faltered as Jemil's wives drew strength not from their doubts, but from each other.

Scene 5 – The Final Reflection

Only Jemil's remained. His cursed reflection grinned, the golden veins pulsing brighter.

"You can't destroy me. I am you. Every failure, every weakness—they are mine to wield."

Jemil steadied his breath, raising his blade. "Maybe you are me… but you're not who I choose to be."

With a roar, he drove forward, the curse burning hot but controlled. His strike cleaved through the reflection, shattering it into fragments of light that scattered across the chamber.

The mirrors cracked and fell silent. The whispers faded.

For a long moment, only the sound of their breathing filled the chamber. His wives gathered around him, some bruised, some bleeding, but all alive. United.

The swordmaster met his eyes, her hand trembling as she reached for his. "You saved me from myself."

Jemil smiled faintly, though the curse still seared his chest. "No. We saved each other."

The chamber's far wall groaned, splitting open to reveal the path deeper into the Tower.

But the curse's glow did not fade. If anything, it grew brighter.

🌒 Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 73: The Blade's Oath

The fractured chamber may be behind them, but the wounds it left—both physical and emotional—still linger. Jemil's wives rally together, yet beneath their unity lies the echo of what they saw in the mirrors: fears that will not vanish so easily.

The swordmaster is shaken most of all. For years she has lived under the shadow of her past betrayal, convincing herself that she could master the blade while denying her own heart. Now, with Jemil's words still ringing inside her, she begins to feel something shift—an oath forming not just to her sword, but to him.

But the Tower does not grant peace.

The next trial awaits: a living blade forged from instincts she once buried. It is a weapon that knows no loyalty, one that hunts its wielder as much as it serves them. To claim it, she must face the part of herself she has always feared—the predator within.

Meanwhile, the golden curse on Jemil grows stronger, its heat no longer just a warning but a constant presence. His wives see it now more clearly than ever, and whispers of unease stir among them. If they cannot overcome what lies ahead, the curse may consume him… and tear their bond apart.

Steel will clash, oaths will be tested, and the line between master and prey will blur in the chamber of the Blade's Oath.

⚔️ Call to Action

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🔔 Stay tuned: Chapter 73 is where the swordmaster's vow sharpens into something unbreakable.

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