The Sinister Reflection of Dou Zhi

In the heart of the ancient village of Liangshan, nestled between towering mountains and a treacherous river, there lived a girl named Mei. Mei was an ordinary girl with an extraordinary gift: she could see the spirits that others could not. It was a gift that brought her both joy and sorrow, for while she could communicate with the spirits, she was also haunted by their tales of the afterlife.

One moonless night, Mei found herself wandering the village, her mind preoccupied with the recent death of her grandmother, who had been a revered village elder. As she passed by the old, abandoned temple at the edge of the village, she felt a strange pull, as if the temple was calling to her. She hesitated, but curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed open the creaking wooden gate.

The temple was dark and dusty, its interior a labyrinth of shadows. Mei's eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she noticed a flickering flame at the altar. She approached cautiously, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and excitement. As she reached out to touch the flame, she heard a whisper, faint but clear, "Mei, come closer."

Mei's heart skipped a beat. She turned around, expecting to see a ghost, but there was no one there. She looked back at the flame, and it seemed to move, as if beckoning her. She took a step forward, and the whisper grew louder, "Mei, come closer. You must see the truth."

In that moment, the flame leaped from the altar and enveloped Mei in its eerie glow. She felt a presence behind her, and she turned to see a figure standing in the doorway. It was Dou Zhi, the demoness who had been rumored to have taken the form of an old woman in the village for centuries.

Dou Zhi's eyes were like pools of darkness, and her voice was a chilling echo of the night. "I have been watching you, Mei. You are special, just like I was once. I have a confession to make."

Mei's heart raced as Dou Zhi began to recount her tale. She spoke of her origins as a demoness, her love for a human, and the betrayal that led to her curse. She had been trapped in the form of an old woman, forced to live among the villagers, her true nature hidden from all but a few.

Dou Zhi's story was a tapestry of pain and sorrow, and Mei listened, her heart aching for the demoness. But as Dou Zhi spoke, Mei noticed something strange: the demoness's reflection in the temple mirror was not the same as the woman before her. It was twisted, monstrous, and filled with a malevolent energy.

Dou Zhi noticed the look of horror on Mei's face and chuckled. "You see, Mei, I have been using you to break my curse. You are the key to my freedom, but you must be careful. The reflection in the mirror is a trap, a manifestation of my true form. If you look at it too long, you will be trapped within it as well."

Mei's mind raced as she tried to process the information. She knew she had to escape, but she also knew that Dou Zhi was right. She was the key to the demoness's freedom, and if she looked into the mirror, she might never return.

Dou Zhi reached out and touched Mei's shoulder. "You must choose, Mei. Look into the mirror and free me, or run and save yourself. But know this: if you choose to run, I will come for you, and you will never be free."

Mei took a deep breath and turned to face the mirror. She saw her own reflection, but it was twisted and monstrous, just as Dou Zhi had described. She felt a chill run down her spine, but she knew she had to make a choice.

With a trembling hand, Mei looked into the mirror. The reflection stared back at her, its eyes filled with malice. Mei's heart pounded as she took another step closer, and then another. She felt the pull of the mirror, the darkness of Dou Zhi's true form calling to her.

Suddenly, the temple shook, and the ground beneath her feet trembled. Mei's eyes widened as she saw Dou Zhi's true form step out of the mirror, her skin shimmering with an otherworldly glow. The demoness's eyes were filled with gratitude as she reached out and touched Mei's face.

"Thank you, Mei," Dou Zhi whispered. "You have freed me from my curse. But remember, I will always be with you, watching over you."

Mei felt a strange warmth spread through her body as Dou Zhi's form began to fade. She looked around the temple, and to her shock, she saw that the village was gone. She was standing in the middle of a desolate landscape, the mountains and river replaced by a barren wasteland.

Mei's heart raced as she realized she had been transported to Dou Zhi's realm. She looked back at the mirror, and the reflection was gone. She turned to Dou Zhi, who was now a mere wisp of light.

"Where am I?" Mei asked, her voice trembling.

Dou Zhi's voice was a whisper in the wind. "This is my realm, Mei. You have freed me, and now you must find your way back. Remember, I will always be with you, guiding you."

Mei felt a sense of dread as she looked around the desolate landscape. She knew she had to find her way back to her village, but she also knew that Dou Zhi's promise of guidance was a double-edged sword. She had been freed from the demoness's curse, but she had also been trapped in a new world, one that was as dangerous as the one she had left behind.

As Mei began her journey, she couldn't shake the feeling that Dou Zhi was watching her, guiding her, and waiting for her to return. She knew that her life would never be the same, and that the truth of Dou Zhi's confession was just the beginning of her story.