A glass coffin sat in the center of the room.
Tall. Elegant. Beautiful in a tragic, ancient way… carved with frozen feathers and blooming frost lilies. The glass glittered like crystallized starlight. And inside…
Inside lay a woman.
Her hair drifted around her like dark silk frozen mid-flow, her lashes resting gently on pale cheeks. Her hands were folded over her abdomen, fingers curled delicately. Her expression… Peaceful.
As if she'd simply fallen asleep beneath the snow.
My heart clenched, a sharp, painful twist.
"Oh my god…" I whispered, stepping closer without meaning to. "Lucian… is that…?"
"My mother," His voice came from beside me, low and rough.
A cold shiver crawled up my spine.
Not from the room but from her.
From the way she lay there, still like a mannequin. Like time itself had been forced to stop.
I stumbled back so hard my heel scraped the floor.
My breath hitched in my throat.
My heart slammed once, painfully against my ribs.
