VALERIE
The castle was too quiet.
Not in the peaceful way that meant rest, but in that breath-before-the-storm silence that made your skin crawl. Even the wind outside seemed to hold its breath as I stared at my reflection in the mirror but it wasn’t my reflection anymore. My eyes weren’t just violet now—they shimmered with a silver mist that curled through my pupils like smoke. My lips were fuller, skin almost too smooth, too perfect. This version of me tilted her head when I didn’t, smiled when I frowned. And when I turned away… she didn’t. I clenched my fists. “You’re imagining things,” I told myself aloud. The mirror pulsed faintly—soft as a heartbeat. My fingers twitched with magic. Lately, it had begun reacting to my moods—more unpredictable than ever. Earlier today, a flower wilte
