CHAPTER 71: THE CLOSING CEREMONY

Fluffy sighed, floating down until he settled into her lap beside Pebbleton.

"The rune on the collar," it said softly, "and the glow inside Pebbleton... they worked together."

Her fingers gripped tighter.

"What do you mean worked together?"

"The rune pulled its last reserve of mirror-linked magic. And Pebbleton—your companion geode—amplified it. They created a spike in mana flow. Enough to interact with the Mirror Tower. Enough to... break its seal. Whatever you saw in that mirror... the collar poured its power into opening that moment."

Her breath hitched. "So I caused this?"

"No." Fluffy shook his head. "You didn’t break anything. You’re the reason it *reacted.* That’s very different."

"But Pebbleton’s gone." Her lip trembled. "It didn’t even blink goodbye."

Fluffy touched his nose to the pebble gently. "It’s not gone. Just... resting. Drained."

"Like the rune," Evelisse murmured, looking at the collar. "No glow. No inscription. Like it never held magic at all."

"It used up the last of what it had," Fluffy said gently. "It was never meant to wake that tower. Not after what happened during the Obscura War. You forced something ancient to stir... and in doing so, the remnants of both tools burned out."

She stared at the collar, then at Pebbleton, still and dull in her palm.

"I didn’t mean to lose anything," she whispered.

"You haven’t lost anything," Fluffy said, firm now. "You’ve uncovered a piece of something much bigger. And you’re not alone."

She glanced at Fluffy.

"You have me," he said, tail flicking. "You have Snugglewuff. And you still have Pebbleton. We’ll figure this out. Together."

Her shoulders slumped. Her lashes wet.

"...I was scared."

"You still are," Fluffy said, softer. "And that’s brave. Bravery isn’t charging in with glitter bombs and a dog in a bonnet. It’s still choosing to move forward even when your favorite rock won’t blink back at you."

That got the smallest giggle out of her.

"Now," Fluffy said, puffing up his cheeks, "we need to rest."

"But the tower—"

"Is sealed again. And likely cranky. There’s nothing more we can do tonight."

She looked down at Pebbleton once more. "Do you think it’ll glow again?"

Fluffy met her eyes. "Yes. Not today. But one day. That little rock likes you too much to give up."

She sniffled, smiled softly, and tucked Pebbleton into the padded box it had come in. "I should’ve waited. Been more careful. I was just—so curious..."

"Curiosity is part of who you are, Princess," Fluffy said, nose twitching. "Don’t blame yourself. What happened tonight was not your fault. It was... fated."

Evelisse swallowed hard. "So... what now?"

Fluffy gave her a tiny but determined nod. "Now, we recover. We let Pebbleton rest. We carry what we learned. And tomorrow—"

He turned a loop in the air, trying to be dramatic and fluffy at the same time.

"Tomorrow is the last day in the duchy. The closing ceremony, the festival market, the fireworks, the lantern release, the fluffy dance competition—which I will qbe entering."

That earned a small smile from Evelisse.

"You’ve already won even though they can’t see you. No one else has a tail that poofs on command."

Snugglewuff barked in agreement.

Fluffy brightened. "See? That’s the spirit. This was a hard night. But not everything has to end in shadows."

She looked down at Pebbleton again.

Still just a rock.

But it didn’t feel gone.

Just... sleeping.

"Maybe," she whispered, "it’ll wake again one day."

Fluffy settled on her shoulder. "And if it does... it’ll blink brighter than ever."

Evelisse let out a slow breath. "Then tomorrow, we live. We enjoy. We smile. Even if there’s a crack in the mirror and a shadow in the dark... I still have cake, my family, friends, Snugglewuff and you."

"Exactly," Fluffy said proudly. "We sparkle on."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The next morning, sunlight spilled golden across the room.

A new dress had been laid out for her—peach with tiny moon-stitch embroidery, matching the duchy’s crest.

Snugglewuff sat primly at her feet, proudly wearing a ribbon shaped like a jellybean.

Pebbleton remained quiet in her satchel, but Evelisse tucked a small flower beside it, just in case it was listening.

She twirled once before the mirror, whispering to herself, "For today... no mysteries. Just marshmallow fluff, music, and mischief."

Fluffy spun beside her with a sparkly banner that read:

"CLOSING CEREMONY OR BUST!"

Evelisse laughed. "Let’s go out with a bang."

And hand-in-paw, paw-in-hoof, floof-in-bag... the Princess of Ashthorne walked out to meet the final day in Astrael.

The mystery could wait.

Today... she would shine.

Even if just for a little while.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The duchy’s closing ceremony began with the scent of candied citrus and the sound of a hundred laughter-laced harp strings.

By the lakeside, hundreds of silk lanterns floated, drifting gently in the warm afternoon breeze. Festival stalls burst with honey tarts, glittered shell candy, and stacks of ribbon fans in every color. It felt like the entire duchy had gathered, the atmosphere drenched in wonder.

Evelisse stood between Fluffy and Snugglewuff, both flanking her like bodyguards made of floof and wiggly paws. She wore her peach-colored gown with moon-stitch embroidery and glitter-dusted shoes. In her satchel, tucked deep inside, Pebbleton slept beside a daisy.

She touched the bag once, gently. ’Still sleeping. That’s okay.’

A trumpeting tune signaled the ceremonial start.

"The Star-Wish Ceremony," Fluffy explained in a hushed voice, "is Astrael’s tradition. Everyone tosses a star-shaped stone into the lake and makes a silent wish. If your stone sinks, it is said the lake has accepted it. If it floats back... the stars might have more to say."

Evelisse raised an eyebrow. "Do wishes normally float back?"

"No," Fluffy muttered. "That’s the weird part."

The Duchess herself stood atop a floating platform on the lake, resplendent in a robe of stardust blue.

"May every wish shine true," she declared.

Applause echoed.

One by one, guests approached the lake’s edge to toss their stones. Some whispered, some kissed their stones for luck, others held them tightly as if they were prayers carved into rock.

Lucien went first among the siblings. Silent, solemn. His stone sunk instantly.

Jared yeeted his with dramatic flair. "Wish granted!" he yelled before it even touched water.

Callum whispered sweet nothings to his, cradling it like a squirrel before dropping it gently.

Leo threw his stone like a sword.

Felix tried to get his to skip.

Lance tried to get his to explode.

Marcus simply looked at his and said nothing.

Then it was Evelisse’s turn.

She stepped forward. The sun lit her cheeks golden. In her hand, a star-shaped stone carved of milky quartz shimmered faintly.

’No riddles,’ she told herself. ’No magic today.’

Just a simple wish.

’Let no one be hurt again.’

She kissed the stone softly and threw it into the lake.

It sank.

She breathed in relief.

Then it rose.

Fluffy yelped. Snugglewuff barked.

The stone bobbed on the surface... then drifted back toward her.

A silver thread now tied it.

A tiny scroll was tucked beneath it.

Evelisse picked it up, heart pounding.

She unrolled the note.

In spidery ink, one sentence was written:

"Then don’t wake the others."

’Haha! My life keeps getting a lot more fucked than I thought it should for a cute princess.’

Her mouth went dry.

Fluffy cleared its throat but could not say anything without knowing what Evelisse felt on it or any question asked.

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

Fluffy hovered, eyes wide. "That... doesn’t sound like wish magic."

Evelisse raised a brow, as though saying ’you think?’.

"Who are ’the others’?" she asked.

But the note didn’t answer.

Just one line.

Then don’t wake the others.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The day didn’t pause for riddles.

By afternoon, the lakeside transformed into a celebration. Firewings flew overhead, releasing bursts of colorful light. Music floated through the air from crystal instruments played by water spirits.

But Evelisse held the note tightly in her palm, even as she tried to smile.

"I don’t like that message," she whispered.

"It’s not a threat," Fluffy said cautiously. "More like a warning."

’What did I wake with the mirror?’

Fluffy stayed quiet.

They wandered into the food stalls where the brothers were stuffing themselves with cream buns and sugar-syrup dumplings. Jared handed Evelisse a sparkle-pop.

"Eat this. You’ll explode in fireworks."

"Is that good?" she asked.

"It’s great until your hair smokes."

’Very calming, brother Jared.’ Evelisse deadpanned in her thoughts.

Leo was arm wrestling a griffin.

Callum was drawing flower crowns for the local fairies.

Felix had gotten frosting in his hair.

Marcus watched her quietly. "Did something happen at the lake?"