Chapter 1: Smoke Break Reflections

The late afternoon sun spilled across the polished wood floors of the Vonreichsin estate. Diana leaned against the wide bay window of the parlor, cigarette poised delicately between her fingers. She drew in a slow inhale, letting the curl of smoke rise and twist into the golden light. Her mind, always active, wandered to her introverted students.

“They’ll be fine,” she murmured to herself, exhaling a ribbon of smoke. “They just need patience, focus, and someone watching over them.”

Beckett appeared silently behind her, gloved hands folded. Even masked, the intensity in his dark eyes was enough to steady her thoughts. Without a word, he knelt beside her, offering calm reassurance.

The twins peeked around the doorway, sketchpads in hand. “She’s… really intense,” Peresphone whispered.

Hades snickered. “And totally unbothered by the world. That’s our mom.”

Diana flicked the ash casually, a smirk tugging at her lips. “And they’ll be fine. Just like every quiet student I’ve ever cared about—they have their own way of shining.”

Beckett’s subtle squeeze of her hand confirmed it: in the quiet reflection, their connection needed no words.