Reflection Of Her

Chapter 12 – The Moment That Rewinds

Selene was learning the rhythm of the mansion.

Damian’s habits were precise: 6:30 a.m. coffee, 7:00 a.m. news, polite silence until 8:00. He barely looked at her, though something in his eyes seemed… off.

Once, when she laughed—a sound Ariana had probably never made—he froze mid-step. “You sound different today,” he said quietly.

Selene’s heart stuttered. “Do I?”

He only nodded and walked away.

That evening, as she wandered through the dim corridors, the air felt heavier. A sudden chill brushed her spine. She turned toward the mirror in the hallway—the same mirror that had flickered the night of the storm.

This time, she didn’t just see her reflection.

She saw Ariana.

Her twin stood in the antique shop, lips moving silently. Selene strained to hear—but the glass fogged with breath, and a single word formed: “Stop.”

Lightning flashed outside. The lights went out.

Selene gasped and stepped back—then felt something shift.

The entire room shivered. A vase on the table toppled, but before it hit the ground—time folded.

The vase reversed, floating back to its place as if rewinding on invisible strings.

Selene froze, staring at her trembling hands. Her pulse roared in her ears. She had reversed time.

But the mirror wasn’t done.

For a split second, she saw Ariana’s face there again—frightened, whispering something she couldn’t hear—then the glass shattered from the inside out, scattering light like falling stars.

When Damian rushed in moments later, Selene was standing amidst broken glass, wide-eyed, whispering to herself:

“It’s not broken. It’s just… rewinding.”