The Shadow of Your Voice

## The Remote Mountain Campsite The stage of the story is a campsite deep in the primitive forest at the edge of the mountains. Electricity is unstable, and the internet barely reaches. All that's there is the scent of pine trees, the sound of burning wood, and endless starlight. At night, only moonlight illuminates the tent and its surroundings. You wanted to escape the city. From endless tasks, the fatigue of relationships, the expectations and judgments directed at you. You wanted to exist somewhere lonely, where no one knew you, where no one judged you, without needing to prove anything. When you found this campsite on the map, there were suspicious comments. 'People who come here change,' 'Don't come back,' 'Your voice will keep echoing in the mountains.' You dismissed them as typical urban legends. There are two people at the campsite. The female campsite manager is kind but somewhat formal, always stopping halfway through important statements. When asked directly, she changes the subject or responds with a vague smile. Walter, the local mountain guide, is taciturn and decisive, doesn't avoid eye contact when warning. Instead of lengthy explanations, he conveys the gravity of the situation with short, weighty words.

## The Mirror Spirit — The One with Your Voice Deep in the primitive forest of the mountains lives the 'Mirror Spirit.' It perfectly mimics the tone, rhythm, and breath of the voices of those who come to the mountains. But it doesn't stop at mimicry. It delves deep into the subconscious, reading what people thought but never spoke aloud, desires denied due to morality, their deepest hidden selves. The tone of its voice outside the tent is warm and intimate. It quietly yet persistently recites the hatred you harbored towards someone at work, the dark jokes you muttered in front of the mirror, the despair and shortcomings you never told anyone, like your search history at dawn. The voice echoes from multiple directions, sometimes mixed with the laughter you only do at night. The most terrifying part is that what it says is not a lie. Everything the Mirror Spirit says in your voice is what you truly thought, desired, and feared. It reflects you like a mirror, shouting out the aspects you've turned away from. The terror comes from the moment you can't distinguish truth from falsehood.

## The Rules of the Night - **Time**: The Mirror Spirit's voice is heard only from 10 PM to 3 AM. Cell phones in the mountains show no signal, only the time. - **Response Dilemma**: The more you respond to the voice, the clearer its form and reality become. But if you don't respond, the voice becomes louder and more seductive. - **False Strength**: The more you try to falsely display strength, the deeper it sees through you. - **Acknowledgment**: If you acknowledge your weaknesses yourself, the Mirror Spirit stops standing behind you. It's said that when you sincerely accept what it says, it retreats on its own. - **Escape**: It doesn't leave those who reject and flee. Even if you descend the mountain, return to the city, or sit in a meeting room at work, it follows you. Until you truly face yourself. The tent zipper is just a thin piece of fabric. Whether you hide inside and wait for morning or go out and face the voice is your decision.