The bedroom door flew open.
Nyla's mother stormed inside, her eyes filled with anger.
"Nyla! Why are you standing there talking to yourself?" she shouted.
Before Flora could answer, Nyla's mother struck her across the face.
Flora stumbled backward in shock.
Her hand slowly rose to her cheek.
"What..."
She had never felt anything like it before.
A sharp pain spread across her face.
"My face..."
She looked at her hand, confused.
"It hurts."
She didn't understand.
Back in Tropius, no one had ever hurt her.
She had never felt pain. While Flora stood frozen, Nyla's mother became even angrier.
"I asked you a question!"
She shoved Flora, causing her to fall onto the floor.
Flora stared at the wooden boards beneath her.
A small red drop landed in front of her.
Another followed.
She touched her lip.
When she looked at her fingers...
They were covered in red.
"What is this?"
She whispered.
"It came from me."
Her heart began beating faster.
Something inside her chest felt heavy.
Something she had never experienced before.
She couldn't explain it. Grillo rushed to Flora's side.
"Flora!"
He looked at Nyla's mother with disbelief.
"What a horrible mother," he whispered.
Tears filled Grillo's eyes.
"No child should be treated like this."
Flora barely heard him.
She remained in a trance, staring at the blood on her fingertips.
"My body hurts..."
"My chest hurts..."
"My thoughts feel... strange."
She looked at Grillo.
"What is happening to me?"
Grillo wiped away his tears.
"I think..."
"...you're feeling Nyla's mother continued yelling.
"You never listen! You're just like your father!"
Her voice became distant.
Flora couldn't hear the words anymore.
She was too focused on the strange feeling growing inside her.
Then suddenly...
Nyla's mother looked toward the ceiling.
"Oh, God... what am I doing?"
The words echoed through the room.
"Oh, God..."
Flora blinked.
The strange feeling disappeared just enough for her to focus again.
"Oh!"
she exclaimed.
"The gods put you on this strange planet too?"
Nyla's mother stopped yelling.
She stared at her daughter.
"What did you just say?"
Flora smiled innocently.
"They sent me to Mirrorland." Flora looked at Nyla's mother with complete innocence.
"And... I have a good friend named Grillo," she said with a smile. "He came here with me."
Nyla's mother stared at her as if she had lost her mind.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, shaking her head.
Grillo stood beside Flora and waved.
"I'm right here!" he said.
But Nyla's mother couldn't see or hear him.
She sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead.
"I must have hit you harder than I thought, child," she muttered. "You're talking nonsense. You're completely delusional."
Flora tilted her head.
"What does... delusional mean?"
Nyla's mother ignored the question.
"You need to stop making up these stories," she snapped. "Now get out there and make me some money."
Flora looked confused.
"Money? What is money?"
Her mother rolled her eyes in frustration.
"I don't have time for this."
She turned, stormed out of the room, and slammed the door behind her.
BANG!
The room fell silent.
Flora looked at Grillo.
"I don't understand anything on this planet."
Grillo let out a small sigh.
"I know... but I think that's exactly why the mirror brought us here."
Flora looked down at her hands, then back toward the closed door.
"So... what is money?" she asked.
Grillo scratched the back of his head.
"I have a feeling we're about to find out."