The days had turned colder as winter settled in, but the cold no longer felt like a threat. It was simply part of the landscape, as natural and inevitable as the changing of the seasons. Vivian had learned to appreciate the quiet moments—the space to breathe, to reflect.
The manor was still theirs, but now, it was more of a sanctuary than a prison. Each room had become a part of her—each wall, each creaking floorboard, each faint scent of cedar and dust, all woven into the story of her life.
One evening, after the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the world bathed in soft twilight, Vivian stood outside on the balcony, looking out at the darkened sky. The stars shimmered like fragments of forgotten dreams, scattered across the velvet expanse. She had always looked at the stars, even as Elara, longing for answers that were never clear.
Now, she looked at them with a different sense of wonder. She didn't need the answers. She was no longer searching for a reason to exist. She was simply there, a part of something greater, as infinite and mysterious as the night sky itself.
Behind her, the sound of footsteps approached, light and purposeful. Sebastian.
"You're out here again," he said softly, his voice carrying over the crisp night air.
She didn't turn around, but smiled as he stepped up beside her. "I like the quiet."
He leaned against the balcony, his gaze following hers, watching the stars. "Me too. It's... peaceful."
They stood there for a while, side by side, without speaking, letting the cool air fill their lungs. There was no need for words. They had learned to simply be in each other's presence. To share the silence, the space, without the burden of explanation.
Finally, Vivian spoke. "Do you ever wonder what's beyond the stars?"
Sebastian tilted his head slightly. "I don't know if I believe there's something beyond them. Maybe they're just... stars." He paused. "Or maybe they're waiting for us to reach them."
She turned her head toward him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Do you think we'll ever reach them?"
"I think we're already on our way," he said, his voice steady and sure.
Her heart swelled at his words. It was true. She had been on her way all along, and now, more than ever, she realized that the journey wasn't about reaching a destination—it was about the people you chose to walk with, and the moments you allowed yourself to experience along the way.
"Together?" she asked, the simple question hanging in the cool night air.
Sebastian's gaze met hers, and in his eyes, she saw something she hadn't seen before—a promise. Not of tomorrow or the next day, but a promise of now. Of this moment. Of being exactly who they were, in this space, in this time.
"Together," he replied.
Vivian's heart raced, but it wasn't out of fear. It was out of a quiet, content knowing. They weren't bound by the past anymore. The mirror, the curse, Elara—all of it was gone, buried in the earth with the shards. What remained was something far more precious: choice. Freedom.
She took his hand, fingers brushing against his with a familiarity that had only grown stronger over time. There was still so much left for them to explore, so many moments to live, so many paths to walk. But now, they walked them as themselves.
And that was enough.
The wind picked up, tugging at their clothes, sending a chill across their skin. But Vivian didn't feel it. Not with Sebastian's hand in hers. Not with the stars above them, watching over them like a quiet, eternal witness.
She smiled up at the sky.
The stars were still out there. Endless. And maybe, just maybe, they were waiting for her.
But for now, she was content. Content to be right here.
Right where she belonged.
To be continued...