Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 439

Chapter 439: The Mirror of Reflection

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CHAPTER 439

~Zara’s POV~

When I arrived, the throne room was quiet—it was the break of dawn. The only sounds were the distant crackling of torches and the rhythmic clicking of my boots against the obsidian floor.

I had woken early, too restless to sleep. My instincts screamed that today would not be easy, and I needed to be ready.

So I dressed in the only armor I had—black leather, fitted but flexible. My trousers were new, gifted by the fae attendants, and my old boots were sturdy enough to withstand anything.

A black tank top left my arms bare. My hair was secured in a high ponytail, out of my face. By the time Davion arrived, precisely one minute before our agreed time, I was already there.

He stilled in the doorway when he saw me, his violet eyes narrowing slightly. His gaze raked over my outfit, the assessment quick and efficient before his lips twitched.

“You’re ready,” he noted. “What time did you get here?”

“Six.”

His brows lifted, clearly surprised. “I told you six-thirty.”

“I don’t like being late,” I replied simply.

Davion chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “Damn, you really are something else, little wolf. What about your companion? The…”

Before I could reply, the heavy doors behind him swung open.

“The Lycan King is here,” Kaid’s voice rang out as he entered.

I turned to face him. Kaid, unlike me, hadn’t dressed for battle, but he wore easy outfits nonetheless.

I noticed he was dressed in one of his shirts while wearing the new dark trousers they had given him.

Kaid’s belt was fastened with a silver buckle that bore his kingdom’s crest. His dark trousers fit snugly into his leather boots. His hair was combed back, and his sharp features looked even more defined in the throne room’s golden light.

His eyes met mine, dark and unreadable, but his jaw ticked slightly—a small sign of the tension beneath his carefully controlled exterior. He didn’t like this, didn’t trust this. But he had no choice.

“Shall we?” Davion asked as soon as Kaid stopped in front of us.

I nodded. No more delays.

The dragons led us through a different corridor this time—one that descended deep underground.

The further we went, the colder the air became, and a faint sound of magic vibrated through the walls. The tension in my chest coiled tighter, intertwining with anticipation and unease.

This was it.

The chamber they brought me to was massive. The ceiling arching high above had glowing runes carved into its surface. The floor was solid stone.

On the far end, a single throne sat upon a raised platform, carved entirely from black crystal. It gleamed ominously, pulsing with something ancient and powerful.

Davion walked ahead of me, stopping just at the centre. He turned to face me with an unreadable look in his eyes.

Then he chanted something in unknown words, and immediately a mirror-like door appeared before us.

Instinctively, I moved back, studying what was in front of me. “Come,” Davion said simply. “Your trial awaits.”

I glanced at Kaid, and he gave a nod, silently reassuring me he’d be here through it all. With that, I faced forward and walked towards the door.

It opened and I stepped inside.

The heavy doors of the Hall of Reflections groaned as they shut behind me, sealing me inside. For a mirror-like door, that said a thousand words.

The chamber was vast, its walls made entirely of smooth, dark stone that absorbed the flickering light from the torches above. The air was still and almost suffocating.

And at the far end of the hall stood the Mirror of the Forsaken.

It was massive—twice my height—its surface dark and swirling like liquid obsidian. The ornate silver frame wrapped around it like twisting vines, ancient runes glowing faintly along the edges. Even from a distance, I could feel its pull—the whisper of forgotten voices, the weight of things buried deep within.

A test of the soul.

“Face your truth, or be lost to it.” Varian’s words echoed in my mind.

I took a slow, steady breath, forcing my feet forward. The moment I stepped closer, the torches flickered, and the mirror rippled like disturbed water.

My pulse quickened. The stories about this trial weren’t just rumors—this was real. Many had entered. Few had returned sane.

I swallowed hard and looked into the glass.

At first, my reflection stared back at me—the same blue eyes, sharp, determined features. My blonde hair was still pulled back in the ponytail I’d tied it in earlier, my all-black outfit clinging to my form like a second skin. I looked strong, confident and unshaken.

Then, the mirror twisted and the reflection shifted.

Suddenly, she appeared.

Me—but not me.

She was dressed in torn, bloodstained clothes. Her face was hollow, eyes sunken with despair. Deep scars lined her arms, her hands trembling as if she had fought too many battles and lost them all.

“No,” I whispered.

The twisted reflection sneered.

“You think you’re strong, don’t you?” Her voice was mine, but colder. Hollow. “But you couldn’t even save them.”

The mirror’s surface changed again, and suddenly I wasn’t in the Hall of Reflections anymore.

I was immediately transported to a battlefield.

Several burning villages, the city, packs… all fallen.

The screams echoed through the air, thick with smoke and the scent of blood. Bodies lay scattered on the ground—some I recognised, some I didn’t. And in the center of it all…

Kaid.

He was on his knees, blood dripping from his mouth, a sword impaled through his stomach.

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe.

“You let this happen.” The voice whispered in my ear. “You hesitated. You weren’t strong enough.”

Kaid’s lifeless eyes locked onto mine.

I tried to step forward, but my body wouldn’t move. A force held me in place, keeping me frozen in my own nightmare.

No.

No, this wasn’t real.

This was the mirror. It was showing me my worst fears.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Breathe, Zara, breath.

“You will never be enough, ” the voice came again, relentless. You are not strong enough. You will fail them all.”