The Room of Flashes

When narcissism and arrogance unite, they form an amalgam of evil that can rarely be reflected within your own being. Instead, they generate a shadow that lurks behind your darkest thoughts, desires, and disturbances — dragging you into its unsettling spasms of delight and pleasure.

Perhaps that shadow was born on an ordinary night, locked away behind the key of a small room adorned with glittering objects that shone even in complete darkness. The night became eternal in the weary eyes of a beautiful young woman, unable to sleep for one simple reason: her mirror.

It was not mere insomnia born from childhood torment. The reason was herself. She would spend hours admiring the majesty she believed emanated from her being, resting comfortably in bed while the mirror hanging on the wall watched her in silence.

Her reflection became an obsession. It excited her, intoxicated her, made her a stranger to herself. Knowing the mirror watched her tirelessly, without complaint, filled her with a sickly joy. Her endless vigil slowly wore down her fragile, delicate body, yet she could not look away from the glass.

The physical exhaustion was indescribable, and yet denying herself the pleasure of self-admiration felt more painful than renouncing sleep. With her eyes half-closed, she noticed that the mirror began to shine more intensely — something unusual, as until then it had only reflected the faint light of the room’s ornaments.

At first, she paid it no mind. Then she understood, horrified, that the reflection was not her own. There was another woman — more beautiful, with better features, flawless skin, and straight hair that hid her face. She had never felt envy… until that moment.

The projection grew more and more corporeal, until it broke through the barrier and appeared in the real world.

The young woman, with her final breaths, never stopped staring. She felt her own beauty peeling away in small halos of light, absorbed by that figure, devouring every glimmer in the room. Then she understood: that presence was herself.

She decided to reach out her hand. And thus, her life ended in one of the purest acts she ever performed — merging with what she most admired and desired: her own shadow.

Years later, her body was found in perfect condition, showing no sign of decay. From her bed, one could still see in the mirror the faint reflection of a woman whose beauty had never been seen in the world of the living.