The moment Mia's eyes fluttered open, the sound of soft steps brushing against the carpet outside her door greeted her, right on time. It was Selene
Mia never needed an alarm. Her body moved with precision, honed over years of survival. But now it was comfort—habit—that roused her at this same moment each day. Not that she'd admit that. She remembered the reflection chamber. Mia shivered
Through the thin crack under the door, a sliver of light cut through the darkness. She sat up quietly. Selene's silhouette shifted behind the etched glass of the door, pausing briefly. As always, Mia hadn't moved yet.
She waited, watching Selene as she entered the room like a whisper. The curtains were drawn open, and pale sunlight painted the walls with gold. Mia's robes for the day were neatly laid out on the chair beside the bed. Selene worked silently, her every motion smooth and unbothered—a quiet ritual.
Mia didn't wear shoes in the house.
When she first arrived, she'd refused them, an old habit from a life where silence meant survival. She had claimed it was for comfort, but in truth, it was a subtle way to remind the house of her presence—a shadow in the halls. Selene never questioned her. Instead, she simply stopped offering them.
After a few more moments, Mia rose from bed and padded into the adjoining bathroom. The water in the shower was already running—Selene had started it minutes before. She stepped under the cascade and let the heat undo the chill of dawn.
She didn't rush. In silence, she washed the sleep off her skin, the memories of old blood and pain always lingering just beneath the surface. When she stepped out, Selene was already there with a thick towel. Wordless, gentle. She dried Mia's hair in slow strokes, like taming a wild animal. She ran her hand on her back, feeling the scars. Mia didn't flinch, she kept her head down. She hated physical contact, but when its Selene, she was fine with it. The scars renewed their promise, one to protect, one to avenge what once kept her going.
Fresh robes. Soft. Simple.
After dressing, they headed to the garden. The path curved elegantly through the villa grounds, blooming lilies dancing in the morning breeze. They settled into the small stone table beside the flowerbeds, where breakfast awaited—light, beautiful. A slice of toast, fruit cut like art, and tea.
Mia nibbled slowly, eyes on the white lilies and the beautiful pond.
In the office upstairs, Ken stood at the window, watching. The sight of Mia quietly sipping tea, back straight, posture almost regal, brought a faint tug of pride to his otherwise unreadable face. She was adapting. Not just to the culture, but to peace. Or something that looked like it.
Selene sat with her, sipping tea, quiet but present.
Later, Mia wandered the villa.
There was always a new corner. A forgotten hallway. A dusty old gallery. Sometimes she opened drawers and peered into closets just to learn the shape of the place. Selene switched places with Sebastian around midday. The transition was seamless, though Mia always noticed.
With Sebastian, it was different. She never smiled, but she didn't have to. He brought the board games—Go and chess. She played silently, calculating moves ahead of time. He won every time, but by a whisker. He started to get worried, he could tell that in time, she would defeat him.
After a short rest, she changed into her second outfit of the day—a modest purple dress. It draped softly over her delicate frame, the muted shade catching the amethyst in her eyes. All her clothes covered her back. Only Selene saw a part of her past from those shreds of evidence. She glanced at her reflection for a brief moment. Sometimes she didn't recognize herself.
In the study, her tutor awaited. One of the finest in the country. The lady was strict, brilliant, and clearly exhausted trying to match her pace. Ken was often seated behind his desk during these lessons, only half-listening—until Mia answered something unexpectedly. Then he'd glance up.
After the tutor left, she stayed.
Ken reviewed her independent work himself, his fingers sliding across the tablet as he scrolled through her problem sets and reports. She was ahead in all sciences. Math and business seemed to come naturally. He noted, however, that her Mandarin was sloppy. History too. And yet her linguistic skills were generally sharp. Just… selectively.
She's already surpassing most Rowland children, he thought, half impressed, half wary.
Evening came. The music tutor arrived.
She practiced piano first. Then the harp. The notes were soft, haunting. The sound made some of the maids pause as they passed by. Mia had an odd talent for drawing out the melancholy in every note, even when the sheet called for joy. Ken was always there at this time.
As night fell, dinner was served.
The dining table was long. Too long. It seated twenty, but only two ever sat—Ken and Mia, facing one another under the glow of an ornate chandelier. The maids stood silently behind them, always ready, never speaking.
Mia picked at her food. She watched Ken.
"What's on your mind?" he asked at one point, tone casual.
She shrugged. "The lilies are blooming early this year."
Ken's brow rose slightly. That wasn't the answer he expected, but he didn't press.
They talked some more, Mia told him of the places she found in the villa, which she had never known to have existed. Ken was glad she was finally opening up, but she sounded as if she was giving a report of her whereabouts.
After dinner, a long bath. The marble tiles were warm. She liked the quiet splash of water echoing in the room, the scent of lavender oils lingering in the air. When she stepped out, Selene was there again, with a fresh towel and soft hands to dry her hair.
Dressed in new robes, she wandered the halls.
Not aimlessly.
She knew where the blind spots were. Where Sebastian's cameras faltered. She had mapped the patrols in her mind, memorized the guards' routes. This was her way of helping—without being asked. She never said anything.
Sebastian, from his post, noticed.
She thinks I don't know, he thought with a slight smile. But he respected it. The intention. Her pride. So he never told her he'd seen.
After thirty minutes, she returned to her room.
Selene came in soon after, as always, to "check on her." It was protocol. They had to report to Ken. Mia knew. Selene slipped in next to her and offered her embrace.
Curled in Selene's arms, head resting against her chest, she watched the moon rise outside the window. A sliver of red glowed around its edge.
Her mind drifted. The assassin. The one out there. The one who might come for her.
Selene. How ironic, she thought
Mia didn't know if she wanted revenge or a reunion. Maybe both. Maybe neither. She was willing to fumble her own life for it, either way. Willing to burn, if that's what it took to meet her brother once more, or risk it all and fight the finest weapon known to man. She had nothing to lose anyway.
She closed her eyes.
And in the arms of the only person she trusted, she let herself sleep.
Selene left.
Selene arrived.