The days after the mirror's destruction were quiet, but not in the way Blackthorn Manor had been before—the suffocating kind of quiet, heavy with secrets. This was different. Lighter. Like the house itself had exhaled a breath it had been holding for years.
Vivian stood by the window of the study, watching the sun dip below the horizon, painting the sky in soft shades of amber and violet. The world outside moved forward, indifferent to the battles fought within these walls.
And for the first time, she was ready to move with it.
Sebastian entered the room, his presence steady as ever. He carried two cups of tea, setting one beside her before settling into the chair across from her. "You've been quiet today."
Vivian traced the rim of her cup. "Just thinking."
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "About?"
She hesitated, then met his gaze. "Who I am. Who I was." A pause. "Who I want to be."
Sebastian studied her, then nodded. "And what have you decided?"
A small smile touched her lips. "That I don't have to have all the answers right now."
For so long, she had been desperate for the truth—about the mirror, about herself. She had fought against the uncertainty, the fear that she wasn't real, that she didn't belong. But maybe… maybe not knowing everything was part of the journey.
Maybe it was enough to simply be.
Sebastian watched her carefully, then smirked. "That's very philosophical of you."
She rolled her eyes, nudging his knee with her foot. "Don't ruin my moment."
He chuckled, but there was something softer in his expression. "I like this version of you."
Vivian tilted her head. "Which version is that?"
"The one who's finally seeing herself the way I do."
Warmth spread through her chest, something steady and real. It wasn't about being a reflection or an echo of someone else's life. It wasn't about proving she belonged.
It was about choosing to exist. To live.
Vivian exhaled, letting the weight of the past settle where it belonged—behind her. "I think I like this version of me too."
Sebastian lifted his cup in a mock toast. "To the future, then."
Vivian smiled, clinking her cup against his. "To the future."
And with that, the last ghost of the past faded, leaving only the endless possibility of tomorrow.
To be continued...