The world had fractured.
Not in fire, or frost, or war.
But in silence.
Ever since the mirror ceremony, the sanctuary had felt like it was holding its breath.
Despite the sealing of the fake Tobias, the whispers hadn't stopped. They had grown softer, but sharper. More deliberate.
Eleanor could feel them in her sleep, coiling around her spine like threads of forgotten memory.
She wasn't alone in feeling it.
The Reflection in Her Mother's Eyes
Ariella watched Eleanor from the edge of the courtyard.
It had been a long time since she had felt helpless. Even during the war, there was always a weapon in her hand, always a plan.
But how do you fight a shadow of the soul?
How do you protect your daughter from versions of herself?
How do you protect her from you?
Because deep inside, Ariella feared it. That some piece of this was her fault. That the mirrorstone she'd brought back had unlocked more than just a reflection.
