EPILOG 1
A few months later
“Luna, are you ready?” Nicole asked as she poked her head through the crack of Luna’s apartment bedroom door. The woman’s face was already done with simple makeup, and her long hair was now let down, usually tied in a ponytail. The glasses she typically wore had been replaced by blue contact lenses, making her eyes look even more beautiful.
“Maya and her boyfriend George are already waiting in the lobby.” Nicole then stepped inside, stopping in the middle of the room and staring at Luna, who stood in front of a large mirror. Nicole opened her mouth wide, murmuring, “Wow… you’re so beautiful…” Then Luna turned around to face Nicole with a broad smile.
“I know it’s just dinner, but you look even more captivating. Your aura… you seem so different… you’re glowing more…”
Luna chuckled softly as she walked toward her manager. She glanced briefly at the antique mirror covered with a white cloth with a sad look before grabbing the clutch from the bed. “Has the museum courier arrived?” Nicole nodded and said they were ready to pick up the item Luna was donating at any time.
“Alright.” Luna stepped over to the mirror and removed the white cloth covering the antique mirror. The sadness was evident in the reflection staring back at her. It had been a few months since she had returned to her world.
Luna could still clearly remember when Nicole came to pick her up from the cafe where she had been waiting. Luckily, Nicole and Maya had been on a business trip to Paris since Luna’s cosmetic company had to keep running even in her absence. It didn’t take long for her manager to arrive in London.
Yes, London.
Luna was shocked to discover she was in London and that three months had passed since she had left for another world. She was so stunned she couldn’t speak because London was so far away. If she wanted to return to Vasilos, could she? She had no idea who owned the house with the mirror and London… there was no way she could stay in London and abandon the life and business she had just started.
When Nicole arrived, Luna could see the relief clearly on her friend’s face. She first hugged Nicole, pouring out her tears and the deep sorrow that had torn her apart. It took a long time for her to calm down, and they had to stay at a nearby hotel.
Once Luna had calmed down, Nicole began asking her many questions, but Luna couldn’t answer them. She just sat silently, looking at Nicole with sadness. Maya arrived at the hotel the next day, and Luna again cried in her friend’s arms. Maya didn’t ask many questions except about Luna’s well-being. Luna couldn’t remember much after that, only boarding Maya’s agency jet and flying back to her apartment in the heart of Manhattan.
Once she was back in her apartment, Luna tried repeatedly to return through the mirror she owned. She repeatedly cut her hand, hoping to activate the mirror, but unlike before, it didn’t respond. It was just a mirror… as if everything that had happened to her in the last three months had been a mere dream. Was she going crazy? But that couldn’t be, as the dress she had been wearing when she arrived in London from Veniam Duchy’s castle was still neatly stored in her wardrobe, the only proof that it had all been real.
And then, one more thing happened. She started slipping back into depression. She stopped eating and locked herself in her room, worrying Nicole and Maya. Both of her friends feared she was returning to the dark phase of her past, especially after they found various cuts on her arms. Her health deteriorated, and Luna was eventually hospitalized. But because of this, she discovered something that proved everything she had experienced was real. The one remaining connection she had to Alkrevas. Her baby.
Once Luna found out she was pregnant, she began to rise again. She realized that she was no longer alone. She carried a part of Alkrevas with her, and that was enough. Of course, Nicole and Maya were incredibly curious, as Luna had suddenly disappeared and reappeared months later, pregnant. So, after she was discharged from the hospital, Luna told her two friends her wild story. Luna was lucky to have such loyal and supportive friends. They never looked at her as a crazy woman making things up. They believed her story, and after that, the subject was closed and locked away. Luna, Nicole, and Maya chose to focus on the baby she was carrying.
And a few months later, here she was. At four months pregnant, her pregnancy progressed normally, even though she remembered Judith saying that werewolf pregnancies typically lasted only around five months, especially when carrying a Lycan-Luna was starting to return to her usual routine. Of course, carrying a baby who was not entirely human-made her easily tired and constantly hungry, but that didn’t bother her because the baby she was carrying was a miracle.
Now, she had decided to donate her antique mirror to a museum because it was time to move on. Of course, she wouldn’t give up on returning, but she no longer placed her hopes on the mirror she owned since she remembered the temperamental soulmate had destroyed the other side of her mirror. She was now trying to track down the identity of the house owner who had the portal mirror, but so far, she had no leads. Nicole had mentioned that the house owner was a powerful figure in London, keeping their identity well hidden.
Luna had visited the house several times, but the house was locked tight every time she went. Nicole once told her that two men had come asking for her a few weeks after Luna’s disappearance, claiming to be her relatives. But when the phone numbers they left were called, no one ever answered, as if they had vanished. Luna remembered that one of the men who claimed to be her uncle was named Jackson Bardi, and the other, who claimed to be her brother, was Markus. Based on Nicole’s description, i. Luna was certain that Markus Bardi was the Duke of Venion, which perfectly matched the Duke’s.
“Luna?” Luna snapped out of her thoughts when Nicole called her name sadly.
“You miss him, don’t you?” the woman whispered. For the first time, she brought up the topic they had deliberately buried deep so Luna wouldn’t get emotional.
“No. I’m just reminiscing,” Luna replied, then looked at her reflection in the mirror. Luna switched her wardrobe to maternity clothes, and her belly started to show.
Like tonight. She was wearing a long navy maternity dress made of silk, with a sweetheart neckline showing a bit of her chest, short lace sleeves, and a lace back. The long skirt of the dress covered her legs, which were starting to swell. Luna’s long hair was styled in a formal bun, with a few strands left to frame her face, which was already enhanced with makeup. The only accessories she wore were simple white gold earrings and a matching bracelet, and since she was pregnant, she opted not to wear heels and chose dark brown flats that matched her dark brown clutch.
Luna smiled at her reflection, a sight Nicole didn’t miss. “See? I was right, wasn’t I? Your aura shines even brighter. Pregnancy really suits you.”
“I guess you’re right,” Luna responded with a playful smile. She stepped out of the bedroom and greeted the couriers and museum staff. After a brief chat, she permitted them to take the mirror. Luna said goodbye to the mirror full of memories as it was taken away, reassuring herself that she could always see it at the museum. “Shall we go down now? I’m sure Maya’s already tapping her foot impatiently.”
“You’re right,” Nicole agreed, checking the items she was carrying. In addition to her personal belongings, Nicole also had some extra things for Luna, as she was the woman’s manager, after all.
When they arrived in the lobby, Luna was greeted by a pouting Maya and a relaxed, smiling George. “Hey. Sorry, I’m a little late. I had to make sure the mirror was taken away properly,” Luna said, hugging Maya tightly.
Maya sighed and nodded in surrender, then gently rubbed Luna’s belly affectionately. “How’s my little niece or nephew? Healthy?” Luna nodded. “How’s the nausea?” Maya asked, concerned.
“It’s getting better, thanks for asking.” Maya hugged Luna tightly again. “Thank goodness,” Maya whispered in relief. After some small talk, they headed out of the building to the SUV parked in front of the lobby.
…