Shatter

EPILOGUE

Luna

All I heard was gasping for a few seconds, and all I saw was wide eyes staring into space. I smiled uncontrollably. They were defeating their Fears. 

I quietly walked away from my bed, and before going through the door to the cafeteria, I glanced back. Carmen beamed at me. I grinned back, and closed the door gently after me. 

Looking around cautiously, I made sure no Adults were in sight. I picked at the lock on the front door. It had been too long since the beginning of my journey: escaping. After some moments of fingering continuously, the lock finally opened. I swung the door wide open, and skipped outside into the warm sunshine. 

I laid down on the lush grass, which still had some drops of dew lightly perched on each strand, from yesterday's light sprinkle. I stared up at the cerulean sky, the white clouds. 

Yilania was up there, somewhere. 

Even if it was a dream, I reminded myself, it was still a journey. You got to defeat your Fear. You got to lead everyone into doing it, too. Now, The Other Side will hopefully be destroyed. You did your part, even if it was just in a wild dream. 

"Or maybe it was real," I whispered to myself, my voice nothing but a light rustle that got carried away by the breeze. "Maybe Zephyr really saw me." I held up my hand like I had this morning. 

The alabaster skin, tinted with blue, was special. To me, at least. It meant Aeluin. 

I closed my eyes, letting the sunshine drop onto my eyelids. 

In that moment, I saw Yilania. She looked so much younger than I thought she was. She looked like a child made of light. Maybe she was. 

"The Other Side is gone," her voice echoed inside my ears. "Thank you, Lunaire Everdene. You will never be forgotten by us, the angels." I felt a light hand caress my cheek. "Forever remembered," was all I heard, before she disappeared, and all I saw was darkness. 

My eyes flew open. 

Acceptance. I had accepted the man in the mirror. I wonder who he was. I reassured myself I would find out, sometime. 

I sat up, and looked at the beloved orphanage that I lived in. After four years, I would be eighteen. I would try to find a home for myself. I would live life just like I was supposed to. Half of me would be living in Aeluin, though. 

I hadn't noticed that Carmen had sat beside me. 

"I'm so proud," she said softly, "Of everything that's happened. I can't believe Fears are gone." 

"Likewise," I said back. "But they'll come back sometime, again."  

She nodded. 

"Oh, and Carmen?" I asked. "Do you think this was all real?" 

Carmen smiled mysteriously. "Just for us, it was." 

I sighed. "Do you know who the man in the mirror really is? I still can't guess." 

She looked up at the sky, and hugged her knees together. "He was your father's soul." 

In that moment, the memories of my family came rushing towards me. That time Rosalie tripped while we were playing tag. That time our parents spent two hours making supper, but accidentally burned the food on the stove, resulting in Rosalie and I waiting another hour before finally getting food to eat. Those times in Aeluin... with Rosalie, with my parents, with Zephyr, with all of the people in my life. And then here, in the orphanage, Jessica, the orphan keeper, and all the Adults. 
They all mattered to me. 
There was also Melissa. Evangeline. Edward. That man who saved me and Rosalie and brought us to Los Angeles. 

I reached out to touch the memories. 

They disappeared. 

I will still remember, though. 

I just wished I could touch them, and travel back in time, to them. 

"CARMEN AND LUNA!" Jessica called sternly from the door. My face flushed. 

"Coming!" Carmen shouted, and she ran towards the door. I sat on the grass for a few seconds longer before running after her. 

It was over. 

He was gone. 

I was safe. 

THE END