After some time, she found herself standing next to her mother. The dancing had begun. Sophia was at the center, dancing and filling the hall with her laughter. She wasn’t sure if she felt envious of Sophia or not. Maybe it was because she realized things would be easy for her as the novel's main character. She felt resentful towards her; it was a strange emotion that she had never experienced before.

She couldn’t think of Sophia as a fictional character since she was standing a few feet from her. 

Her mother gently tapped her on her hand. 

“I’m glad you decided to come today. Sophia had asked my permission before inviting you, and I thought it would be an excellent opportunity for you to mingle with everyone”, her mother said. 

Anastasia decided to turn to face her mother and saw that her mother flinched. Anastasia quickly readjusted her mask. Her mother had finally noticed the scar and seemed at a loss for words. 

Her mother didn’t seem to hate Anastasia; instead, she avoided her. In her past life, she had witnessed many people in hospital rooms shun their loved ones after suffering horrific accidents. Anastasia’s mother must fall under that category. She sighed.

“I am going outside for a bit of fresh air. I will be right back”, Anastasia said. Her mother did not reply and nodded. 

Out in the gardens, Anastasia saw the beautiful stars. She traced Orion’s Belt and found the north star. By some miracle the stars were the same and she found solace in that fact. 

After several more steps, she found herself inside a gazebo and removed her mask. The wind tousled the satin ribbon from the mask. 

Out of nowhere, she heard someone walking towards her.