Silvercity shimmered under the soft light of dawn, the scent of autumn leaves mingling with the cold breeze that swept through the campus. Mariana stood at the window of her shared apartment, a steaming cup of tea in her hands, watching students hurry by below. In just a few months, she'd be graduating. It felt surreal.
She turned, her gaze falling on her desk cluttered with papers, plant samples, and glowing system reports. Her progress in both her studies and secret missions had been remarkable. The system had recently granted her a small upgrade—access to healing properties in certain herbs—and her ability to sense energies had grown stronger.
George had visited last weekend with his grandparents. They'd gone to the botanical gardens together. He'd asked Mariana to help him with a school project on plants. She'd smiled, heart aching with the weight of everything unsaid. He didn't know yet, but he would—when the time was right.
"You're glowing," Bia had teased her that morning. "New crush, or did the economic theory finally make sense?"
Mariana had laughed it off, but the truth was deeper. She was beginning to feel the weight of two lives—the old one as Mary, filled with pain and betrayal, and this new one as Mariana, full of hope, purpose, and a second chance.
She looked at the photo on her desk: her new family, George, and herself during his birthday. Everyone was smiling. James hadn't come, but he had sent a polite letter and a generous gift. George had opened it, nodded, and moved on.
The world was still turning, and justice had been done—but healing would take longer. Mariana knew her role wasn't over yet.
It had only just begun