Jan sat on the creaky steps of the abandoned manor house, staring at the dusty rays of sunlight streaming in through the broken window. Once again, he told himself that coming in here after dark was not the best idea, but it was places like this that had fascinated him for years. Every crack in the floor, every old portrait on the wall told its own story. Today he was going to discover the one that lay behind a locked door at the end of the corridor. They were rusty and heavy, but gave way when pushed harder. Behind them waited something different from what he had expected: an empty hall, and in the middle of it a huge, cracked mirror framed in a curved brass frame. The mirror was unnaturally clean, as if time and dust had no power over its surface. Jan felt a sense of unease. He liked to look behind the scenes of reality, but what he saw in the sheet was not his reflection. It was a shadow - a dark, swirling blur that moved independently of him. John cautiously approached and extended his hand towards the mirror. At the same instant, the cool air vibrated and the world outside the window began to blur. Flashes of light and shadows that had no right to exist in the real world appeared around him. Distant whispers came from behind the walls of the manor house, as if someone was calling his name. Jan stood as if mesmerised, not knowing what frightened him more: the disturbing shadow or the fascination growing within him. For a moment, he had the impression that the shadow in the mirror was smiling at him, inviting him to walk across the sheet. Then another shape emerged from the darkness - a human silhouette with empty eyes. John held his breath and took a step forward, just as the door behind him slammed shut with a bang....