Reflection
“Are you alright?”
Alecto startled, drawing her wand at the sound of a voice suddenly behind her. She quickly relaxed at the sight of her twin brother. He eyed her with concern, raising his palms defensively as she lowered her wand. “You know how I hate that,” she sighed, turning back to the mirror before her.
“I can feel you thinking, Al,” he remarked, leaning against the wall behind her. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”
She flared her nostrils, glaring at his reflection, then her own, “To think otherwise is suicide, brother dear.” Glancing back at the dirty glass in front of her, she stared in disgust at what she could see, shutting her eyes to fight back the emotions. She had always hated her reflection for as long as she could remember, taught to hate herself before she was even capable of remembering it. Amycus had always been a steady presence for her to take solace, but her self-loathing burned within her, the hatred for all those that had brought about her suffering scorching her soul.
They were wrong, all wrong. She had made something of herself, as had Amycus. They were on the winning side of this war, and she would rise above them all to serve the Dark Lord. She swallowed down her fear, her pain, allowing only rage to remain. Pulling her mask into position, she finally opened her eyes, able to stomach the sight of herself at last. She turned to face him at last, his own ornate mask hiding his own fear, and they nodded in understanding.
“Tonight is our night at last,” he murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“Tonight is our night,” she agreed, moving in to embrace her brother for the last time.