[PP-F11] The Mirror at the End of the Road

[Hidden 1]

Hidden | HP: 880/880 | EN: 126/126 | DMG: 24 | MIT:20 | ACC:3 | PHASE | EVA:4 | BH:48 | VAMP-O: 97 | REC: 8 | HLY: 16 | LD:1      

Spoiler

Name: Hidden True Tier: 9 Level: 34 Paragon Level: 52 HP: 880/880 EN: 126/126 Stats: Damage: 24 Mitigation: 20 Accuracy: 3 Evasion: 4 Battle Healing: 48 Loot Die: 1 Stealth Rating: 5 PHASEVAMP-O: 97 REC: 8 HLY: 16 Equipped Gear: Weapon/Armor/Trinket: - Kura Yu Yami | Holy II, Phase, Vamp Off. Armor/Trinket: - Vantablack | EVA III, Vamp Def Shield/Armor/Trinket: - Night's Bloom | ACC II, Recovery II Combat Mastery: - Combat Mastery: Damage R3 Combat Shift: - ST Shift Familiar Skill: - Grappling Familiar Custom Skill: - Lady Midnight Skills: - Battle Healing R5 - Cloth Armor R5 - Dagger R5 - Energist - Quick Change Extra Skills: - Hiding R5 - Disguise - Survival Inactive Extra Skills: Addons: - Ferocity - Nimble - Precision - Stamina - Stamina Mods: - Athletics - Surpise Attack: Assassin - Untraceable - Vanish Inactive Mods: Battle Ready Inventory: Housing Buffs: Guild Hall Buffs: Scents of the Wild Totem: - Kumatetsu Wedding Ring: Crafting Profession: Gathering Profession:

The air had grown cooler as the sun began to set over the horizon, the trees shifting as they did with each day as the sun began to set. You could only reach the house at sunset. The path didn’t appear so much as it allowed you through — winding past overgrown trees and quiet hills, down into a meadow the world seemed to have forgotten.

It was beautiful in a way that felt untouched: wildflowers blooming in every direction, tall grass swaying in the breeze, and a narrow stream that split the land like a blue ribbon. A few old wooden bridges crossed it, leading up to the house — a modest place, timeworn but standing. Vines curled around the beams. No one came here. Not really. It was too far, too hidden, too strange to find unless you already knew where to look. And Hidden… she knew. She’d been coming here for a long time. Long enough to call it home. Even if it wasn’t meant to be. Even if it once belonged to someone else.

The windows caught the last of the sunlight, and the moment came and went. The brief period in which to arrive passed, just like it did every day. Except, today was different. By Fate or happenstance, a pair of boots had trudged into the meadow, worn thin by a road that hadn't ended in years. 

---

So far, for Hidden it was another standard day. The day's candle had burned and the comfort of the night hung on the wind. The house stood quietly at the meadow’s heart, weathered by time but not abandoned. Wisteria crawled up the beams now, and the wildflowers had long since claimed the garden, but it still breathed the same way it used to. This evening, she wandered as she always did, barefoot in the grass, sleeves rolled past her elbows, letting the soft gold light soak into her skin. The air had just begun to cool, that perfect cusp between warmth and night. A breeze carried the smell of water, of violets and damp earth.

She wasn’t thinking of much. Maybe dinner. Probably spaghetti. It was the one thing that she had learned to make from him and it was one of her favorite foods. One that Simmone's rear had learned to fear. Perhaps nothing was on her mind. The quiet meadow and given her a place that asked for nothing from her but her presence. She moved with quiet ease through the grass, silver hair tied back loosely with a ribbon that had begun to fray. Her clothes were simple — a soft shirt, worn slacks, and a shawl that hung just enough to catch the breeze. Nothing elegant, nothing eye-catching.

But as she crossed one of the outer bridges, a familiar hush pressed at her ears. Not silence, not danger. Just something new. Her gaze drifted toward the far side of the stream, beyond the tree clusters, past the bend few ever bothered with. There, at the water’s edge, nearly hidden in brush and light:

A figure.

The figure caught her a bit off guard. It had been so long since she even entertained the idea that someone would just walk in. Yet there she was, seated at the edge of the stream, rod in hand, calmly fishing. The light caught the woman's hair, a bright marigold orange. Hidden's breath caught for a moment before she spoke up. 

"You're a long way from anywhere. Were the city fish too noisy for you?" 

[Mari 1]

The place was quiet, out of the way; far enough away from Taft that she wouldn't be a bother to anyone - not along any main trails. Mari had quite literally come across the outskirts of the estate by chance; and the river that ran through it. She was far enough away that she hadn't actually entered any owned land, but was close enough to see the rooftop of whomever lived there.

Mari cast her line out with a yawn. Coming back from the higher floors always resulted in her being exhausted. 

"You're a long way from anywhere. Were the city fish too noisy for you?" 

"That's the point." Mari said simply with a shrug. She didn't want to be anywhere near the town if she could help it. Last time she forced herself to go into Taft she was almost accosted by guards, and the only thing that stopped it were clouds of chlorine gas from a mad plague doctor.  She reeled in her line and tugged on it, pulling the glimmering material off and letting it fall away into her inventory. Mari sighed as she also put the rod away. "I can't just wander around the city."

She figured this was probably someone's home, but Mari also figured she was quiet enough, and it was late enough for her not to be a bother. So much for that. "Look." Mari began as she dusted blades of grass from her form. "I ain't gonna bother you. I'll leave."

Mari looked at the woman now, she looked vaguely familiar but Mari couldn't quite put a name to the face, her hair was long and cascaded down toward her feet. Striking silver. Why is this one so familiar? Mari shook her head, she had met so many people, and most of them Mari would be perfectly fine with not seeing again.

"Aight. See you." Mari said as she turned to leave.

 

 

Fishing ID: 248498 CD: 11 LD: 1 = Material!
+2 fishing exp
+8 Successful fishing attempt

Total Thread loot
+10 Fishing exp
+1 material

 

ASSIST SYSTEM ENGAGED
Level 34
Paragon 52
Tier 9
Mari True Tier 12 | +5% EXP

Non combat:
Mari | HP: 880/880 | EN: 151/151 | DMG: 36 | MIT:44 | ACC:4 | AA | EVA:4 | BH:48 | BLI: 32/-20 | ENV-O: 32 | PARA-V | LD:1

Edited Sunday at 10:53 PM by Mari

[Hidden 1]

Hidden blinked, half-expecting some pushback, or at least a question — but instead, the woman just let out a sigh and started reeling in her line, all the grace of someone giving up their last bit of peace for the day. No argument. No snark. Just a quiet sort of resignation, like she’d been through this routine before and already knew how it ended.

Hidden watched, a little stunned, as the stranger packed up her things with the air of someone being evicted rather than confronted. No fire, no challenge — just a muttered promise to leave, like her presence had been a burden from the start. It wasn’t what she’d meant. Not at all. She stepped off the bridge and into the grass, the hush of her footsteps barely parting the stillness. Up close, the woman looked… familiar. Not in the obvious way — not the kind of face you’d spot in a crowd and call out to. No, this was something quieter. A flicker. A thread tugging at the back of Hidden’s mind. The memory wasn’t fresh, but it was there, like a word she’d once known how to spell.

'Ma... Ma...' Her mind spun, trying to catch it.
Well, she certainly wasn’t her mother. That ship had sunk somewhere in a storm two decades back and hadn’t resurfaced since. Hidden shook the thought off with a faint scoff, brushing it aside like dust. Whatever it was, it’d come to her. Or it wouldn’t. Something else caught her attention, bringing her out of her own head and back into reality. A spinning orange crystal hovered above the woman's head. 

Her smile thinned. “Huh. Matching cursors. That’s either fate or a warning label.”

She looked past Mari, toward the water. The sun had dipped further now, dyeing the stream gold. “The meadow’s better than a cave. Less mold, more view. And if this is the first peace you’ve had all day…” Hidden shrugged. “You’d be a fool to give it up just because I wandered over here with something to say.” 

A beat passed. She tilted her head slightly.

“I’m Hidden,” she offered, as if that might settle the odd weight between them. “That's a name, not a condition — before you ask. And you are?”

[Mari 1]

'Ma... Ma...' 

Mari paused mid-step at the odd utterance, it caught her off guard. A certain kind of chill hit her stomach. her brow furrowed as she turned over her shoulder gaze falling on the silver haired woman. She was about ready to chastise her, Mari wasn't a mother. Not anymore. Mari had many people call her that in the past, players who - for some reason had looked up to her, or found solace in her. But that was so long burried in her past. Once upon a time Mari played into it, almost needed the validation - after having lost her own daughter but the weight of that pressure got too much.

“Huh. Matching cursors. That’s either fate or a warning label.”

"Doesn't bother me." And it didn't, these days, it was the green players. The so called 'pure' and ''just'  who treated her with more ire than PKers. Hell, even the members of Laughing Coffin had been far more nicer and cordial to her than most others these days, and that really said something considering their reputation for being absolute monsters. Though Mari knew better. Far better than most. Being intimate with the underbelly of their digital world had its advantages. The woman kept talking, something about meadows being nicer than caves. How it'd be silly for Mari to give up on peace just to appease another player. Mari snorted in mild amusement. It was a sweet sentiment, but it was wasted. Mari had felt more at peace lately than she ever had, and it was not something she was searching for. "Appreciate it, but it's not needed. I was just resting between floors."

“I’m Hidden,"

Mari's eyes snapped open, as though she had been slapped in the face. The world seemed to pause and for a moment a silence hung between the two - with nothing more than the bubbling river to accompany it. Oh. Oh.

 One, two, then three steps as Mari broached the gap between them.  How could Mari have been so blind? It should have been obvious, no? Then again - Mari found it hard to recognize some people even at the best of times. Yet, here she was - someone who was so withdrawn from a world that weighed down on her. Someone who Mari felt was following that same trecherous path. Yet here she was. At peace. Renewed.

Arms extended to wrap around her shoulders, burying Hiddens face in her chest within a tight embrace. "Hidden...."The name barely spoken as a breath. Mari pressed her face to the top of the womans head. "I almost didn't recognize you. Your hair, and lack of cloak." Mari would offer her a squeeze. fingers threading through strands of silver hair. "This suits you."

Another squeeze. "I was worried about you." And she was, Mari could have...should have reached out, but the opportunity never came up - and Mari was simply notoriously bad at doing so.

"It's Mari."

[Hidden 1]

There was something in the woman’s tone — flat, resigned, like she’d already made peace with being unwelcome. Like she'd done this dance before and knew how it ended. Hidden caught it immediately, and it hit a little harder than it should have. Was that how people felt, talking to her? Like they were already halfway out the door before the conversation began? She offered her name mostly out of habit. Maybe boredom. The day had been quiet in that too-still way, and she'd figured a little small talk wouldn’t hurt. Maybe this stranger would at least be an interesting footnote in an otherwise uneventful evening.

She didn’t expect arms to wrap around her.

Hidden tensed, instinct screaming pull back, duck out, move—but the hold didn’t tighten like a threat. There was no force, no tension. Just warmth. Steady. Familiar. The woman pressed Hidden into her chest like they’d done this a hundred times before. Fingers threaded through her hair, gentle and slow, and Hidden froze in it, eyes wide as the world flipped sideways. What the hell was happening? She was about to speak, maybe protest, maybe just breathe out what the fuck is this, when the voice spoke again—soft, close, unmistakable.

"It's Mari"

The name hit like a spark to dry tinder. Hidden’s breath hitched.

Memories flashed — fast, but vivid. A house on the fourth floor. Cold hands wrapped around a mug of tea. Laughter that didn’t come from her, but somehow made the silence easier. Someone who didn’t ask her to explain the mess she was in, just made space for her to land. Mari. The woman who’d taken her in when the world had turned its back. A puzzle piece that slid into a gap Hidden hadn’t known was missing until it was filled.

Her arms moved before her thoughts did. A small, tentative hug — brief, but real. Then she pulled back just enough to look at her, to actually see her. The freckles were still there. They always had framed Mari’s face so well — the kind of soft detail that balanced out the sharp clarity of those eyes. And those eyes hadn’t changed. They still were as startling as she remembered. “I… I can’t believe you’re here,” Hidden said, voice quieter than expected. “I thought you’d… I don’t know. stowed yourself away. Or worse.” She tried to laugh, but it came out uneven. “I don’t exactly check the board on the first floor. Too much I'd rather not see.”

Her eyes didn’t leave Mari’s. “How long’s it been! Where have you been staying? What have you—” Her voice trailed, and something flickered in her expression.

“I missed you, y’know.”

Hidden takes Mari's hand and begins to gently pull her towards the bridge she had just crossed, in the direction of that house she had just left. It seemed that Mari was no longer just passing through.

[Mari 1]

Hiddens breath hitched, and with trembling hands she returned Mari's embrace. Her fingers gripped Mari's shirt tight, like a lifeline. As though Mari would disappear if she were to let go for even a second. Mari felt a little guilty at that. Being imprisoned meant she had no way of messaging anyone - she had no clue if Hidden had tried, and her calls for aid or advice, or company had gone unanswered. Had she reached out? if so...how many times went unanswered? Messages lost to the void? Another small squeeze before Mari let go, her hands lingered on Hiddens shoulders. "I suppose the matching crystals are a form of fate." Mari said with a smile. Not that she ever believed in such a thing. But the chances of running into Hidden were virtually impossible. Maybe Cardinal decided the two deserved the reunion.

 “I… I can’t believe you’re here,”

Hidden's small hand had wrapped itself around Mari's and pulled her toward the bridge, a warm and insistent gesture. Mari allowed it - letting the slightly smaller woman lead her down a path. "Two years...probably..." Mari answered as she shifted her eyes away from Hidden. She didn't want to see the reaction to her next words. "At least, that's how long I was imprisoned for. It might have been a little longer than that - you kinda loose track of time when you can't tell if it's day or night but..." 

Mari quickened her pace so she could keep in step with Hidden. "I'm okay. It was a...hmm. It wasn't exactly a pleasant time. But. I'm okay." Mari wouldn't go into details unless the other woman asked. Mari assumed it might be a sore spot. Last they spoke Hidden was trying so hard not to be captured and sealed away - and here Mari was having done it willingly.

"I missed you too. There were many days in that dank dusty place when I wondered if you were okay."

 

[Hidden 1]

Hidden led her across the bridge, her hand still wrapped around Mari’s like she was afraid letting go might undo the whole moment — as if the two of them might snap back to their separate corners of the world if the connection broke. The house came into view as the two crested a bend in the path. It stood with quiet dignity at the edge of the cliff, a two-story home that didn’t quite match the sleepy, forgotten feel of the surrounding woods. Where everything else looked worn and weathered by time, the house had clearly been built with intention and affection.

Sloping eaves framed arched windows trimmed in polished darkwood. Delicate ironwork curled around a small balcony on the upper floor, and the front door stood beneath a hand-carved awning, painted a soft wine red. Vines had started to creep up the sides, not wild or unkempt, but as if even the plants respected the shape of the place. It was ornate without being gaudy. The kind of house someone meant to give, not just build. Hidden caught sight of it and didn’t slow. If anything, she walked a little faster, tugging Mari along behind her.

"Two years...probably..." Mari said, her voice even. But Hidden felt her hesitate before the next part. “At least, that's how long I was imprisoned for.”

That brought Hidden to a halt. She turned sharply, wide violet eyes snapping to Mari’s face. “Imprisoned?” The word hit her like a slap. Mari looked away, but Hidden didn’t let it slide. She stepped in close again, her voice suddenly sharper. “By who?” she asked, her tone climbing, more breath than sound. "And for what?" 

Mari had been gone. Not absent, not traveling. Taken.

Hidden felt the spike of anger crawl up her spine, but she swallowed it down, letting it simmer into something sharper—annoyance. Another self-proclaimed Justice Warrior, she thought bitterly. Always so sure their version of right gets to be the law of the land. Like the world was just waiting for their moral fanfiction to become canon.

“Regardless,” Hidden said, brushing a hand through her hair with a sigh, “come inside. We can catch up properly and I’ll get you something warm to drink before the chill really sets in.”