The hotel, silent for years, seems to exhale as the date shifts to February 29th. Each polished mirror slowly begins to shimmer, the glass quivering as if disturbed by invisible hands. Shadows gather in the corners, deepening the sense of anticipation, while the ornate clock above the reception desk strikes midnight with a hollow, echoing chime.

A young woman, Elena Carter, materializes in the glass. Her eyes scan the empty lobby, confusion and curiosity mingling in her expression. Though her body is not yet within the building, her spectral form brushes against the ornate frame, leaving frosty fingerprints that fade instantly.

"Where am I? Why do I see myself here?" Her voice, muffled but distinct, echoes faintly throughout the empty lobby. Another mirror flickers to life nearby, revealing a blurred vision of the hotel's front doors swinging open, snow blowing inside.

Elena[/@ch_1] steps into the hotel for the first time, just as her mirrored self fades from view. The air is thick with the scent of dust and cold stone.] She pauses, shivering, her gaze drawn to the glowing mirror on the far wall. Her footsteps echo on cracked marble as she approaches, suitcase wheels rattling against loose tiles. The reflection now shows not her own face, but the faint outline of another stranger—someone yet to arrive.

"Who are you? Are you coming here too?" The figure in the mirror tilts his head, as if listening, but offers no reply. Instead, the mirror’s surface clouds over, hiding the vision until the next leap year, leaving Elena alone but no longer uncertain of the hotel’s magic.

Elena sets her suitcase down and traces a finger along the gilded frame. The mirrors, now still, reflect only her—but she knows she is part of their story, and that others will follow as the years pass and the leap year returns.