Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who kill their fathers!

He took a step forward but was startled to find that the reflection in the mirror remained motionless, watching him intently.

"Who... who are you?"

John stepped back in shock, staring at the figure in the mirror.

"I am you, John. Don't you even recognize yourself?"

The mirrored John gestured at himself, spinning around as if to show off. "Look, we're practically the same. I am you."

"You're not me. I am the real me!"

John's eyes turned crimson, and the laser building in them seemed ready to fire at the mirrored figure at any moment.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Relax, no need to be so intense."

The mirrored John raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Maybe I'm just a figment of your imagination—a devil within your heart. Who can say for sure? What matters is, I can help you, John. I'm not your enemy."

"Help me?"

"Yes, help you. Isn't the reason you came here to fulfill a wish?"

"A wish?"

John lowered his head, repeating the word.

"Yes. You need to confront what's in your heart. You're afraid. You fear losing. John, you fear losing your father's love, and that fear is consuming you. You say your courage outweighs your fear, but now fear is devouring you."

As if struck by the words, John's gaze grew hazy.

"No, that's not true! Father won't abandon me. His love won't be taken away!"

The mirrored John sneered. "Stop lying to yourself, John. Deep down, you know this is inevitable."

"No!"

John felt tears welling up but stubbornly held them back.

"Admit it, John. A part of you deep inside is death itself. You've seen that world: the sealed laboratory, the cruel, inhumane experiments. No family. No father. Just a cold, lifeless lab. That's where you were trapped in solitude, like a stranded whale waiting to be butchered."

Holding back tears, John muttered, "That was just a dream."

"A dream? Have you ever experienced a dream so real? Perhaps that is the life you're living now—or the one you were meant to live. John, you wouldn't want to feel what you felt in that dream again, would you?"

Shaking his head, tears filled John's eyes. "No, I wouldn't."

"Exactly, John. I can help you achieve your wish—to take back your father's love from your brother. Make him disappear so he'll no longer steal what's rightfully yours."

The mirrored John stepped closer. "Then, at last, you can have your father all to yourself, my child!"

"What… what should I do?"

Suppressing his tears, John asked hesitantly.

"It's simple. I can help you get rid of your brother without your father suspecting anything. But there's a price to pay."

"What price?"

"Your soul."

"My soul?"

John froze, his foggy mind instantly clearing. "So you mean... cutting away a part of myself?"

"Precisely. You'll gain something but lose something else. That's fairness—the price. Isn't this a principle you understand better than anyone?"

John's wavering heart suddenly calmed. Words from Peter echoed in his mind.

He raised his head and asked, "Are you trying to take away my faith?"

"What?!"

"No way. I used to claim I had no faith, but I do. When Father took me to Louis' funeral for the first time, that's when I found my faith. Do you know what it is?"

The mirrored John froze, stunned by the sudden shift in John's demeanor.

"What is it?"

"My faith follows my father. Without my soul, it would vanish. Without it, I couldn't keep up with Father's footsteps."

John's gaze shifted, no longer filled with doubt.

"You're right. You're just a projection of the darker side of me—filled with malicious thoughts. I may not like Star-Lord, but I wouldn't want him to disappear because Father wouldn't want me to do that."

Staring at his reflection, John continued, "Mr. Jones taught me to conquer the other side of myself. Now, I've done it!"

"Wait! You don't understand. I'm not you. I'm someone who wants to make a deal with you."

"You are me!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I'm not! Shut up!"

The mirrored John clutched his temples in frustration.

"You're me! I've defeated myself, and now I must tell Father about this."

John felt a lingering sense of fear but also a bit of pride.

If not for thoughts of his father, he might have truly succumbed to darkness.

'Is this my inner demon? But I've conquered it, so there's nothing to fear anymore.'

Resolving that the figure in the mirror was another version of himself, John turned to leave.

Seeing him go, the mirrored John shattered into countless shadows, lunging at him.

Caught off guard, John quickly reacted, his laser vision firing at the mirror.

The sweeping beam shattered all the mirrors in the room, sending shards crashing to the ground.

The shadows vanished the moment the mirrors were destroyed.

Staring at the mess of broken glass, John stood dumbfounded.

The creature in the mirror… was real?!

Was it a demon?!

He recalled Kelly's story about the demon "Dudd."

Had he just been speaking to a demon?

And nearly made a deal with one?!

Thinking this, the usually fearless John felt a chill down his spine and hastily left the chapel.

....

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