The mirror in front of Elise flickered as if the reflection itself were alive. She sat on the edge of her bed, gripping the silver locket she had worn every day since her childhood. The locket was a family heirloom, passed down through generations. Its weight always felt reassuring, but tonight, it was heavy with dread.

The whispers had started a week ago. At first, she thought it was her imagination. The faint voice was silky, coaxing, and unshakable. When Elise tried to focus, it would vanish like smoke. But as the days passed, the voice grew louder, clearer.

"You're not afraid of me, are you, Elise?"

Her reflection smirked. Elise's lips didn't move, yet there it was - a devilish grin stretched across her face in the glass. She stumbled backward, the locket falling from her hands.

"Who? what are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

"I am you. The part you've buried for years. The part you don't dare to unleash. But I'm tired of being locked away."

Elise shook her head. "No, this is a trick. I don't have - "

"A villain inside you? Oh, Elise, everyone does. But yours? yours is exquisite."

Her heart sank. "Everyone?"

The reflection chuckled, a low, mocking sound. "Of course. Everyone has a piece of me - just a little darkness waiting in the shadows. For most, it's small, a whisper in their ear when they're angry or scared. But for you, Elise, I'm more. I'm stronger. You've fed me your whole life with every suppressed thought, every petty act, every secret cruelty."

Memories surged unbidden, memories she had buried deep. The day she had screamed at her best friend until tears streamed down her face. The night she had keyed a stranger's car in a fit of rage. The countless times she had wished harm on others in moments of envy or anger.

The reflection leaned closer, pressing its palms against the other side of the glass as if it could step through. Elise stumbled back further, her breath shallow.

"Do you know why I'm stronger than most?" the reflection sneered. "Because you pretend I'm not there. You play the saint, the kind soul. But every time you look down on someone, every time you hurt someone and lie to yourself about why, you feed me."

Elise clenched her fists, her knuckles white. "You're wrong. I'm not like that. I've made mistakes, but I'm not a monster!"

The reflection's eyes darkened, the smirk twisting into a snarl. "Denial won't save you. You think kindness is your shield? Mercy, your weapon? Pathetic. You've built your life on lies, pretending you're better than everyone else. But I see you for what you are. You enjoyed those moments of cruelty."

Elise's heart pounded. The reflection was right, wasn't it? For all her outward smiles and acts of charity, there had been fleeting moments when she relished the power of being cruel, of holding sway over someone else's emotions.

The room seemed to warp, the walls bending inward. The reflection pressed harder against the glass, its fingers distorting the surface as if it were water. "Let me out, Elise. Together, we could be unstoppable. No more masks, no more pretending. Just pure, unrestrained power."

Elise reached for the locket, her hands trembling. Her grandmother had always said it was a ward against darkness, a protector. But now, it felt like a lie, a trinket with no real power.

"That won't save you," the reflection hissed. "Nothing will."

Elise closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "You're right," she whispered. "I've let you control me before. But not anymore."

The reflection paused, its head tilting. "Oh? And how do you plan to fight me, little saint?"

Elise opened her eyes, her gaze fierce. "By owning you. By acknowledging every dark thought, every cruel impulse. You're a part of me, but you don't define me. Everyone has a villain within, but I'm choosing not to let mine win."

The reflection hissed, its edges shimmering like heatwave. "You think you're so different? So special? Everyone listens to me eventually."

Elise took a step closer to the mirror, her voice steady. "No, not everyone. Most people feel you, yes. But they choose to be better. That's what makes them stronger. And I'll be stronger too."

The reflection screamed, a sound like shattering glass. The mirror cracked, spiderweb fractures spreading across its surface. The air grew still, and the room brightened.

Elise looked down at the locket, its silver glow faint but steady. She stood, her reflection now perfectly ordinary, mimicking her movements.

The voice in her head was silent. For now.

But Elise knew it would return. The villain within never truly vanished - it was a shadow everyone carried. The difference was in how much power they allowed it.

And Elise had made her choice.