The room shimmered with sunset as Aunt Mirabel faced me, her hands trembling at her sides. For a moment, I wondered if I was still dreaming, but the air thrummed with something real—an energy only magic could make.
"Lucy, you keep asking what you are. I've been hiding the answer all your life. I can't hide it anymore," Aunt Mirabel began, her eyes full of sadness and hope. She stepped into the light, and suddenly, a pair of shining wings burst from her back, silver and impossibly bright. I gasped—my heart skipped.
Aunt Mirabel's voice shook. "Yes, Lucy, I'm an angel. Full-blooded. So was my mother, your grandmother—her name was Celestia. She was no ordinary angel, but a princess in the Heaven Kingdom—immortal and destined to rule beside the High King."
She sat, motioning me close. "But Celestia fell in love with a human—your grandfather, Daniel. He was kind and brave, but mortal. Their love broke all rules in the Heaven Kingdom. When they chose each other, Celestia lost her throne and was sent down to live among humans. Still, they were happy, and together they had two daughters: me, and your mother."
My voice trembled. "So that means… you and Mom…?"
She nodded. "I took after Celestia: all angel. But your mother, Seraphina, she was different—half angel, half human. In her, both worlds collided, making her strong and gentle, but she always felt torn."
Aunt Mirabel's wings folded softly behind her and she reached for my hand. "Seraphina was beautiful, but she carried a restlessness—she wandered far, searching for belonging. That's when she met your father."
"Who was he?" My question came out before I could stop it—a lump caught in my throat.
Her eyes darkened. "Your father's name is Ravion—a powerful demon cast from heaven's light. He ruled shadows but wore a mask of charm. Seraphina believed she could change him. Their love was dangerous, but you were born from it—a child with three bloods."
I tried to breathe, but my chest hurt with confusion and awe. "So…I'm human, angel, and demon?"
She smiled sadly, tears glistening in her eyes. "Yes, Lucy. You are rare, perhaps the only one. Inside you is light from Heaven, fire from shadow, and the spirit of humanity. That's why your skin shimmers. That's why you hear voices and feel pulled in every direction. It's why the Heaven Kingdom—and the Shadow Court—both want you."
I looked down at my hands, watching the shimmer pulse under my skin like a heartbeat. "What if I can't choose which part of me to be?"
Aunt Mirabel hugged me. "You don't have to choose, Lucy. You are the bridge. Maybe you are the hope both worlds need."
As she spoke, a faint gold glow filled the room. Aunt Mirabel looked to the sky—her wings stretching wider than ever. "Lucy, it's time. The Heaven Kingdom will welcome you now, with all your blood and secrets. But remember—your destiny is yours to shape, not theirs."
I nodded, uncertain but braver than before. Aunt Mirabel opened the window, taking my hand. Her wings beat once, twice, lifting us both toward the world I never knew I belonged in.
And somewhere, between sunlight and shadow, I realized my story had only just begun.