“The mirror universe is a parallel universe where the patterns of events move in similar manners to that of the primary universe, but the intentions and characterizations are different, often showing "evil" characteristics in place of "good" and vice versa. The mirror universe shares a similar history to that of the primary universe and many of the same people exist in this reality, but they and the galaxy they live in are skewed versions of their "normal" counterparts.”

- The Journey to the Afterlife

***Dedessia***

***Marcus***

Elona took us to a mostly white room. There is a chair in the centre, with Zhon chained to it. The former advisor doesn’t look as bad as I expected. There is just one, ugly wound on his forehead. Otherwise he looks to be in a better shape than before. Someone must have healed him to keep him alive. Shade is looming over the traitor, a scissor in his left hand and a voice recorder in the other. He even went through the trouble to put on a doctor's attire.

The white robe is sprinkled with blood, which makes clear who exactly is responsible for the ugly wound on Zhon’s forehead. The entire setup is good reason to associate the king of Dedessia with a mad scientist who is just about to start a new experiment. A human one.

“Oh, I thought you were already done?” Elona points at the prisoner who is strapped down so tightly that he can't even move his head. Shade used ducked tape to strap down Zhon's forehead and chest. The arms and legs are held by strong crystal handcuffs.

Shade scratches the stubbles of his unshaven face with the scissors, regarding Zhon as if he is a very unusual specimen. “Yes, I didn't have much reason to hurt him. Sadly. He was very cooperative from the moment I woke him up by removing Seria's rune.” The king gestures at the bloody, fleshy mess which is left of Zhon's forehead. Just like Seria said, the king didn't have any qualms about partly skinning the guy. I can't help but wince. Such a wound must hurt like hell. The bone is visible where Shade cut a little deeper than necessary.

“I would never defy the great one, never! Believe me! I didn't know that they were working for the great one...” Zhon starts babbling nonsense, but shuts up when Shade puts a finger on his lips, silencing the man with a simple gesture.

Then the king turns to face us. “I've taken my time, listening to Zhon's story. How he was trained in his realm as an agent, how he went to Newerth in order to prepare the realm for the taking. He spent years as an undercover agent to worm his way into the realm's government. The ones who he is working for are very patient people and plan their invasions over the course of generations.

“First, they invade a realm with their spirits, using them to soften their enemies up. When the natives think that the spirits are nothing more than animals, or a force of nature, the agents are sent in. They undermine the government and ensure that all the military force of a realm is concentrated in one place. Then they go in with their main battle force and wipe out the army, together with assassination attacks to take down the government.”

“Once that’s done, they use the power vacuum to establish a bridgehead and continue from there.” Shade tilts his head as if he is regarding a spot on the ceiling. “It's actually surprising that their strategy works so well. According to Zhon, the spirits have already taken several dimensions. Or at least established secured bridgeheads.”

After a short silence, Shade shrugs. “Whatever. That's all besides the point. What's really interesting is that Zhon thinks that he knows me. And he is so sure of it that he even calls me master. Apparently this so called spirit realm isn't just another dimension of the multiverse, but a whole new multiverse which is running parallel to ours.”

The king's expression brightens and he grins at all of us. “And apparently there is a copy of myself there, who is the leader and has taken over everything. He is ruling with an iron fist of terror by using the spirits as his personal army of mindless drones. His subjects have to call him the great one and since his multiverse seems to have links to ours, he is now trying to take over this multiverse too!”

I wet my lips and try to wrap my mind around this outrageous story. “That somehow doesn't fit together with what I know about dimensional physics. Of course I know the concept of parallel universes, where the same person can exist in each of them, but makes different decisions. I thought the multiverse itself has proven that each person exists only once, since there is only one soul. Parallel universes are just a fiction.”

Shade lifts a finger. “Yes! That's all true according to everything we knew up until now. But we can't close our eyes in front of the facts! This multiverse is vastly different from the previous one. There were no mana storms, no endless, strange planes without planets. Those are all new and unexplained phenomena. Why should a new multiverse work so differently from the old one? Why did the old one end in the first place? It bugged me all along, but this is the explanation.

“So far I've thought that the mana storms are caused by the convergence of two dimensions inside our own multiverse. But why should that be? It would mean that our own multiverse is unstable. If that's the case, then why does it exist in the first place?

A second multiverse would explain everything! The mana storms are caused by another multiverse which is currently colliding with ours. And that also allows for our souls to exist twice. The two multiverses are currently trying to wipe each other out, which results in the storms. They are areas in which they are colliding. I was wrong when I thought that two dimensions of our own multiverse are intersecting. The math never added up when I tried to prove it mathematically. But a second multiverse would solve the problems quite nicely.” Shade spreads his hands in a grand gesture. “Of course we still have to prove it by comparing the same soul from each of the two multiverses.... hmm... that sounds wrong, but you know what I mean.”

Elona points at Zhon. “But does that mean that he is from a mirror multiverse? One where we are evil!?”

“Shouldn't you two be good persons in a mirror universe?” I mutter, realizing too late that I spoke out loud. Luckily the two of them don't pay attention to me. Seria cuffs me in my side nonetheless to shut me up.

Shade shakes his head. “A mirror universe would mean that everything is reversed, but that's not the case here. In this case it's simply a universe in which our alter egos took slightly different decisions. Though I don't understand how the other me managed to utilize the spirits as weapons. And even less how Moonray got to work for him. There is still the point about that slaver. Or could he be another mirror person? No, that would be too much of a coincidence.”

Elona shakes her head. “I can't understand how you can be so happy about an evil twin!”

“Isn't it obvious!? I've fought so many opponents and in the end each and every one of them fell in front of me. It's the first time that I get to fight myself! I wonder how he is like... and why he is trying to take over his multiverse. It seems like a lot of unnecessary effort to me. Maybe he even is a genuinely good guy who is simply misunderstood? Like in that story with the king who wages war to establish eternal peace,” Shade answers.

Seria raises her hand. “I might have an idea why their multiverse is so different from ours.” Then she addresses Zhon, “Does the great one have her as a wife? Or me as a daughter?” She points first at Elona, then at herself.

Zhon's eyes widen in shock. “The great one rules by himself. There is no need for lesser beings! His rule is eternal!”

Seria nods slowly and the corners of her mouth curl upwards. “I always wanted to know how my existence would have played out if it weren’t for that damned accident between Mom and Dad!”

.