Phantom

the lore

by Auriel

He wandered into the cave, tattered, not knowing what he would find—just looking for a dry place to rest. As he explored the deep and unsuspecting tunnels, he came to the edge of a freshwater system within this cavern. At the edge, there was the mask. It had been left there long ago and forgotten by its previous wearer. When he saw it, he felt a force of attraction pulling him into its web, and he was entranced. It was not deeply buried and he pulled it out of the dirt and rocks with ease. He held it to his face and saw his glowing eyes staring back at him. The cavern walls and rocks shifted around him, but he took no notice, for all his thoughts were on this alien object in his hand. It had an almost threatening design, with spikes and sharp points protruding from all sides, except where an unsuspecting face might go. Despite its thorns, it had an aura of beauty and mystery, shining silver in the dim light of the cave. 
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He had seen nothing like it before. As he looked at it, he could swear that strange reflections of faces and bodies were shining back at him. 

As he began to inspect it more closely, the mask flew off his hand, snapping onto his face. If only he had slipped away before the rocky walls closed in around him; perhaps then someone would have heard his cries. He tried in vain to pull the mask from his face, but the harder he tried, the more he felt it fitting itself onto him. He felt the icy metal morphing to ensnare him further. A band formed around the back of his head to fully secure it, and he was trapped; however, he would not give up. He tried to find relief and pulled with all his might to rip this parasite from him. At last, the mask gave way, and a million shards of metal flew out, leaving the shimmering beauty of it scattered about the cave floor. His face was only slightly bloodied as he got to his feet and looked at what lay about. He had no means to see himself. The mask had broken but still covered roughly half of his face. He did not try to remove the rest—maybe because he did not want to damage himself further, or perhaps it was because he had no strength left. Or maybe it was the light that shone before him. For the cave had shifted once more, but now it offered a way out.