''The rays that seem to emanate from a virtual image do not in fact emanate from the image'' . Explain the statement

Suppose that you are looking at the reflex candle in one mirror.

The image in the mirror is called the "virtual image"

If the real candle is at a distance of, let's say, 5 meters from the mirror, then the virtual image in the mirror will be also 5 meters "inside" the mirror.

Now, the light that emanates from the candle in the reflex seems to come from the virtual image, 5 meters inside of the mirror, but this is obviously not the real case.

The rays come, originally, from the real candle, and then those rays are reflected in the surface of the mirror.

Then the rays of the virtual image actually come from the surface of the mirror and not from the virtual image itself

thermal energy is the answer