The humming noise got louder. It sounded like a high-pitched scream. The guests at the party covered their ears. The glasses on the tables started to crack.
The Reflection grabbed her head. "Stop it!" she shrieked. "Stop it, you weak little ghost!"
"Kieran!" Vesper screamed from the other side. She didn't use words; she used pure emotion. She made the air in the room vibrate.
Kieran looked at the giant mirror. He saw something in the grey mist. He saw a face. It was crying. It looked terrified. It looked messy.
It looked like Vesper.
"Vesper?" Kieran yelled.
"Break it!" Vesper's voice finally tore through the magic. It sounded like grinding stones. "Break the mirror!"
The Reflection roared. Her face changed. It lost its human color and turned into shiny silver. Her fingers grew long and sharp like knives.
"No!" the Reflection yelled. "I am the Queen! I am the improved version!"
She lunged at Kieran, swiping her sharp claws at him. Kieran ducked and rolled across the floor. He grabbed a heavy iron candlestick holder.
"Do it, Kieran!" Vesper pushed against the glass with everything she had. Cracks started to appear like spiderwebs on the surface.
Kieran looked at the monster that looked like his love. Then he looked at the crying ghost in the mirror. He understood. He didn't want the perfect queen. He wanted the messy, scared girl he had fallen in love with.
"I'm coming for you!" Kieran shouted.
He swung the heavy iron candlestick with all his might. He didn't hit the Reflection. He hit the mirror.
CRASH.
The sound was like an explosion. Thousands of pieces of glass flew into the air. The room filled with diamond dust.
Vesper felt a huge pull, like a vacuum sucking her out. She flew forward.
She hit the wooden floor of the ballroom with a hard thud. Her body felt heavy. Her lungs burned as she gasped for real air. She coughed and rolled over.
She was covered in tiny cuts from the glass. Her dress was ripped. Her nose was running, and she was crying uncontrollably. She hurt everywhere.
She looked up.
The Reflection was gone. Where she had been standing, there was just a puddle of silver liquid. It steamed and evaporated into nothing.
Vesper lay on the floor, shaking. She felt ugly and broken. She tried to wipe the blood off her face, but she just smeared it.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess."
Boots crunched on the broken glass. Kieran was there. He dropped the candlestick and fell to his knees.
He didn't look at her with disgust. He didn't ask her to be strong. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. He held her so tight she could barely breathe.
"You're shaking," he whispered into her hair. He sounded relieved.
"I know," Vesper cried. "I'm so scared."
"Good," Kieran said. He kissed the top of her head. "The other one... she was perfect. And it was boring. I missed you."
Vesper held onto him. She was bleeding, she was crying, and she was terrified of the future. But she was real. And for the first time, that was enough.