Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Four

Hanna raised the radio. “DJ? What happened?!” 

“Wrong button,” DJ’s voice replied. “Find an emergency exit and get out of there right now! I’ll keep looking for Lui.”

“I already found him,” Hanna answered. “But he’s stuck in a mirror.”

A mirror? DJ thought, but responded with, “Hanna, you need to leave!” 

“No!” Hanna shot back. “I’m not leaving Lui here! I will not abandon him!” Hanna watched Lui in the mirror. Seeing her friend in the state he was in and now faced with a countdown to destruction, the panic and despair drown everything else out. “DJ, he’s stuck here and I…” Hanna faltered. “I don’t… I don’t know what to do. What should I do?!” 

“Can you get the mirror off the wall?” DJ asked. 

Hanna inspected the frame. “I think so,” she answered. 

“Take the mirror off the wall and find the nearest exit,” DJ said. “Can you do that?” DJ remained composed, though the need for urgency was still present. The solution was obvious. At least, it would have been had Hanna not given in to despair. 

“Yes. Right. Hang on, Lui.” Hanna grabbed the frame and gently lifted it off the wall. The mirror came down freely. Hanna checked the back of the object as well as the wall it rested on. The back of the mirror was normal and the wall was solid rock. No hidden rooms on the other side. Only Lui stuck inside a mirror. Hugging the mirror in her arms with the glass facing outward, Hanna flew out of the room and down the hallway, frantically trying to remember where the exit was. “Left,” the radio buzzed. Hanna took a left. 

“Straight then take a right through the second doorway.” DJ said, watching the screens. DJ was still in the control room, guiding her to safety. Don’t worry, Hanna. I won’t leave you and Lui here. “Go down the set of stairs on your right. That will lead you to a room on the third floor. From there, there’s an elevator shaft across the hall that leads directly outside.”

“Got it! Thank you,” Hanna responded. Relief and gratitude swept over Hanna before panic set in again. “How much time do we have left?” she asked. 

“Less than four minutes,” DJ answered. “Hurry!” 

“You better get out too!” Hanna said, following the directions DJ relayed to her. “Be safe, alright?” 

“Yeah, I'm headed toward the emergency vehicle door now,” DJ answered. He double checked the coordinates on the map one more time before leaving the control room. “There’s a giant boulder in front of the castle,” DJ said over the radio. “I’ll meet you on the other side of it when we get out.” Halfway to his destination, DJ checked on Hanna again. “Did you make it to the exit yet?”

“Just made it to the elevator,” Hanna responded.

If we can all get out of here in one piece… DJ stopped dead in his tracks when a nauseating thought hit him. EDJ was still frozen in the arena. Oh no. EO?! I have to go back and get him out of here! The exit was in sight, but DJ turned around and raced the other direction. He only had a couple minutes left. Would he make it in time?

“Hanna,” DJ radioed. “No matter what happens, promise me you’ll get out, ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m almost out,” she responded. “The doors just opened!” 

Good, DJ thought. At least they’ll get out in time.

********

Hanna flew through the open door into the frosty mountainside. “Yeeouch it’s bright out here,” she muttered as soon as she was outside. The sun was up and the wind was blowing. Even though it was evening now, the sunlight against the snow still almost blinded Hanna after being inside for so long. Hanna circled the castle until she found the large boulder DJ mentioned. She flew behind it and landed in the snow. 

“Lui?” Hanna turned the mirror around and held it out at arm’s length. “Are you alright? All things considered…?” Lui was still there. Still chained. Still trapped. Hanna carefully placed the mirror in the snow, propping it up against the large stone. 

“Better… now that… I’m outside…” Lui was still incredibly hard to hear. Hanna could see him speaking, but only half his words were audible. If the mirror was intended to be a method of communication, the signal reception was lousy. The howling wind did not help. In addition to this, it was harder to see Lui in the sunlight. Hanna still wasn’t sure how he got into the mirror and how she was going to get him out, but at least he wasn’t in the castle. Why do these things always have to have a self-destruct button lying around? Hanna thought. She peered around the boulder, looking back at the large structure with worry. Why did DJ say that at the end? Was he worried we wouldn't get out in time? Hanna looked down at the radio she was still holding.

“DJ… ok?” the soft voice asked through the mirror. 

“I… I hope so,” Hanna answered as she moved back behind the rock. She sat in the snow next to the mirror. Aside from the wind, it was somewhat peaceful and beautiful out here. “There’s always hope… right?” Hanna asked hesitantly. In the moments of quiet silence, doubt began to crowd. 

“Always… hope… even for… you,” Lui answered. It was hard to tell, but it looked like he was nodding. There was a slight pause as Lui watched her. “Are… ok?”

Even now, he’s still looking out for my best interest, Hanna thought. A tiny smile crossed Hanna’s face, but it was overcome with sorrow. “No,” Hanna answered honestly, but quickly tacked on, “But I’ll be alright.” She sniffed and blinked at the sky. The tears threatened to creep up again, but she could not let them fall. Not in front of Lui. Not now. He was the one in trouble here. Hanna could not allow herself to show weakness when Lui needed her strength. Concern grew as the seconds passed. Hanna kept looking off in the direction of the castle, though could not see it through the boulder. “Do you think I should go back for him?” she asked. 

“No,” the mirror answered as Lui shook his head. “You… just… hurt too…” Lui either paused or the mirror didn’t relay his next few words. Hanna couldn’t tell. She scooted closer in an attempt to hear him better. “Destruct… kill…?” Lui asked. 

“I don’t know,” Hanna answered. “It was only supposed to be in the dungeon…” Hanna anxiously chewed on her lips again. “If DJ doesn’t show up soon, I’m going back for him. I have to. I can’t leave him there…” She looked back at the mirror. “But I can’t just leave you here either.” The indecision ate at her. Her choices ate at her. The whole situation was her fault and nothing she did was fixing any of it. And yet, through everything, Lui still trusted her. Why? Why does he still look out for me? I don’t deserve that. “Lui,” Hanna started quietly. “Back when I was… Why did you still…” She frowned, but looked directly at the mirror. “How could you still believe in me?” 

Lui smiled softly and said something, but Hanna couldn't hear him. Realizing she did not hear him, Lui attempted to shift closer to the mirror as well and spoke a little louder, though his words were still broken. “Special…power… can tell… good… inside people. You… still had… good…” His face scrunched, as though he were trying to understand something. “Why… you… doubt?”

Hanna turned away from the mirror in shame. The wind continued to whip her dark hair around. Hanna pulled up her knees and hugged them, but it wasn’t out of cold. “Nobody… should have a friend that betrays them,” Hanna started. “It hurts too deep. You start to feel that you can't trust anyone anymore. You become… empty… cold... and lost. Nobody should become that way.” Hanna shook her head and started crying. There was no stopping the tears now. She had a moment to rest and, in that moment, exhaustion came crashing down. Hanna looked back through the mirror at Lui with tears in her blue eyes. “True friends don't do that to each other. True friends don’t lie to you. True friends don’t betray you. True friends don’t shut you out when you’re trying to help them. It would have been better if you two had never met me.” 

“No!” For one second, Lui’s voice rang clear as a bell. Then it was garbled again. “Would… rather… die… than… forget. DJ… say… same.” 

“Lui, stop it!” Hanna yelled, jumping within inches of the mirror’s surface to face him. Streams flowed freely down her cheeks. She looked just as mad as she was hurt. “You’re trapped in a mirror with the possibility of never getting out and DJ’s inside a castle that’s about to blow him to bits! All of this is because of ME! I did this!” Hanna pointed at herself. “I’m not worth keeping as a friend!” she ended. 

Lui’s eyes widened as he stared back at her. “No… want… be… friend?” Confusion and shock mixed with hurt and disappointment. Hanna saw a tear slide down Lui’s face. 

Hanna kicked herself. Now you’ve done it. How many times are you going to hurt him? Hanna held her hands out to the mirror. “Don’t cry… Please don’t cry...” She took a deep breath and wiped her face. “Of course, I still want to be your friend… but I don’t understand why you still want to be mine.” 

Lui offered a gentle smile. “Just… because… one… mistake… not… worth… throw away… friendship…” What Hanna wouldn’t give to reach through the mirror and pull him out. 

A loud computerized voice echoed in the air, counting down. “TEN… NINE… EIGHT… SEVEN…”

“DJ?!” Lui and Hanna said in unison. 

Hanna jumped into the air a few feet back and flew around the boulder. Her head swiveled, looking for any sign of her friend. “DJ!” Hanna called out, but received no answer. He’s still in there! “NO! NOOOO!” 

Hanna was about to fly back into the castle when she spotted DJ emerging from it with a large object over his shoulder just as the countdown was ending. “THREE… TWO… ONE…” The massive, stone castle exploded.