The Mirror That Reflected Futures

An old mirror in an abandoned inn showed travelers not their current selves, but who they could become. A bitter man saw a gentle elder. A young artist saw a masterful creator. A greedy merchant saw himself giving freely. Some feared these visions; others embraced them. The mirror cracked the day a devoted mother looked into it and saw nothing different. Villagers understood: she needed no change. A note appeared beneath the mirror: “The future begins the moment you believe you deserve it.”