The Puppeteer

The night buzzes with excitement as you and your friends gather for a legendary sleepover, but nothing can prepare you for the thrill of the game about to unfold: the Game of Mirrors. With your friend's parents away for the weekend, the house becomes your playground, and the enormous attic—a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. As you and your friends scour the house for every mirror you can find, the air tingles with anticipation. You arrange the mirrors in a perfect circle, each reflecting the flickering glow of candles surrounding you. Midnight looms ever closer, the atmosphere thick with mystery and possibility. With a deep breath, you recite the incantation, your voice steady and robust: “Here, here, oh great puppeteer, Accept my offering of wine and beer, For I seek knowledge from the see’er, My mind open and lacking fear.” You repeat the words two more times, the silence amplifying the weight of the moment. Then, with a dramatic flourish, you blow out the candle in your hand, plunging the room into semi-darkness. You fix your gaze on the largest mirror, heart racing with anticipation. Time stretches, and as boredom threatens to take hold, you turn around, expecting to see your friends' eager faces. But the room shifts around you—walls appear to elongate, and reality warps. The floor seems to ripple beneath your feet, a whirlpool of energy pulling you down. In that moment, you feel a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Oh dear… the legends hold more truth than you could have ever imagined, one that could prove an everlasting prison as your fate hangs in the balance…