Phoebe stood before the mirror as the first light of dawn slipped between the curtains. The woman who stared back was a stranger and yet, the more Phoebe tilted her head and smiled, the more she recognized the spark behind those new eyes.
Her once fiery copper hair was now a dark, curling mess that framed her face with a softness she hadn't seen in centuries. Her new brown eyes seemed warmer, kinder even, with small freckles dotted across her cheeks. Also, her bust was larger and so were her thighs.
"Well, hello there, mysterious farmer woman. You look like you read poetry to cows."
Hinesia, seated near the foot of Aurelia's bed, was still rubbing her temples.
"I'm not even sure what that means."
"It means I look… nice," Phoebe said, sweeping her hands down her waist dramatically.
She adjusted her stance, crossing one leg in front of the other, then squinted again at her reflection with mock suspicion.
"You know, it's strange. I always looked like someone who'd command legions. Now I look like someone who would bake bread for them afterward. And I look sexier too. With an athletic body for centuries, I couldn't enjoy a voluptuous build like this one."
"That doesn't sound like a bad trade."
"You're right. Maybe it's not. Maybe this is what freedom looks like. I'm shorter, softer, and several shades less terrifying."
For a moment, she simply stared at her reflection. She reached up and traced her fingers across her own cheek, testing the feel of this new skin. It was almost unsettling to see warmth where once there had only been.
"I used to look in mirrors and see nothing but duty. Now I see a person again."
"That's the point, isn't it?"
Phoebe nodded absently but her contemplative moment didn't last long.
"Still, I must say, I've done rather well for myself. This version of me could walk through any market in Italy and no one would whisper 'that's the Empress.' They'd just wonder which vineyard I came from. I always used to look like I could wrestle a god. Now I look like I might flirt with one instead."
Hinesia rolled her eyes. "And this is why I don't like new transformations."
"Excuse you, I'm bonding with my new self! You don't just wake up with a completely different body and not admire the craftsmanship."
"You talk like you built it yourself."
"I practically did! I have the face of a woman who grows olives and tells children not to eat too many figs. Perfect disguise, don't you think?"
She twirled once — or tried to — but ended up bumping into a chair and stifled a laugh.
"Alright, coordination needs work. But we'll get there."
Her brown eyes flicked toward Aurelia, who still slept peacefully on the bed.
"It's almost time. It's Five fifty-nine. She always wakes up at this exact minute."
"You memorized her schedule?"
"Of course. We shared a body. It's hard not to pick up someone's habits. She wakes up, stretches twice, complains about her back, then—"
"Alright, alright, I don't need a full biography."
"Suit yourself."
She turned back to the window and rested her hands on the sill. The breeze from outside carried the scent of wet stone and morning air.
"Tell her I said goodbye. She doesn't need to see me again. She's earned her peace."
"You're really leaving?"
"The Fluve Field will fall soon. I have a life to start, Hinesia. A quiet one. Maybe I'll grow tomatoes. Maybe I'll fall asleep under a tree and let the world forget my name. That's all I want now. I'll wait for your reply."
She stepped up onto the window ledge, turning her head slightly to give Hinesia one last mischievous smile.
"Don't keep me waiting too long, princess."
Then, without another word, she leapt from the window. The breeze caught her cloak as she vanished into the pale morning light. Behind her, on the bed, Aurelia stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her lips parted as if waking from a dream she couldn't quite recall.
Her voice came out groggy, half lost between sleep and disbelief.
"What happened?"
The curtains were still fluttering from the open window. Hinesia stood near the mirror, one hand resting against the table where she was.
"She already left."
Aurelia blinked again, as if that answer didn't make sense.
"Left? As in… left-left? Like gone?"
"Gone. Out the window. Very gracefully, I might add. She said goodbye."
Aurelia stared at the open window. A sigh finally slipped out, long and almost mournful.
"I thought she would at least wait until we had a proper goodbye."
Hinesia crossed her arms, exhaling softly through her nose.
"She doesn't do proper. You know that better than anyone. She probably thought a dramatic jump out of a window was far more poetic."
Aurelia gave a tired smile at that.
"That does sound like her."
Then, almost out of nowhere, Hinesia muttered.
"It's the thirtieth of August today."
Aurelia raised an eyebrow, a bit thrown by the sudden change of topic. "And?"
"It means I'm rushing. I want to kill the Faceless Sovereign before the first week of September."
Aurelia frowned, sitting up straighter.
"That soon?"
"Yes. The Egyptian Ceremony begins three weeks from now and I can't afford to miss it."
Aurelia pushed herself off the bed, her bare feet meeting the cold marble floor. She crossed her arms, deep in thought, the Empress demeanor slowly overtaking her sleepy confusion.
"So you're going ahead with the plan alone."
"I am not alone. I have the Moth Maiden now. I'm strong enough to take on the Faceless Sovereign. We don't have much time, Aurelia. The Faceless are shifting. Soon enough their leader might take action and everyone will die. I won't let that happen. It's time to end this."
Hinesia stepped forward towards the door.
"Prepare for battle. Call your inner guard if you must. We move before dusk. The Faceless nests won't stay hidden after tonight."
Aurelia took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"We'll burn them out."
"Every last one of them. Think of it as one last service to the Roman Empire."