Setting: A cozy sitting room in an off-realm space called The Velvet Between, a timeless pocket dimension lined with plush chairs, dream-soft rugs, and a flickering hearth. Tea is served. So is shade. Mirrors line one wall. A kettle whistles quietly in the background.
Characters present:
Sabine (in a silk smoking robe, red hair tied back, eyes sharp)Viktor (in a shadow-woven waistcoat, black hair with a purple hue, sleeves rolled)Ayoka (rocking Malik in a low cradle nearby, wearing layered linen and snake charms)The Host (a calm, magical presence, like a velvet-voiced narrator, mostly unseen)
Intro Segment: The Midhouse Recap
Host: "Welcome to the lounge. Book 1 Part 2 has wrapped, and whew—mirrors were shattered, chains were snapped, and more than a few hearts were broken. Let's talk about what the hell just happened."
(Slow fade montage: cracked mirrors, Sabine weaving, Viktor bleeding, Ayoka whispering to her shadow.)
Section 1: Chains and Choices
Q: Viktor, you still technically own Ayoka. You say you love her. How do you reconcile that?
Viktor: (low) "At first, she was just a pregnant slave. I thought maybe I could protect her by keeping her close—by keeping others away. I never wanted to own her, and it doesn't justify what happened. It crossed my mind, plenty of times, to let her go. But where would she go? Who would protect her? This world targets women like her. So yes, I took the sin. That doesn't mean I forgave myself."
Q: Sabine, you offered Ayoka a way out—but your family trafficked fates. What makes your offer different?
Sabine: (lips curled, quieter now) "Maybe nothing. Maybe it's just dressed prettier. But the thing about survival? It makes monsters out of legacy too. I never claimed to be clean. I was born into a web. The same kind you thought Viktor were protecting her from. I grew quite close to her—and the child. "
Q: Ayoka, were you doing this for Malik—or yourself?
Ayoka: (voice trembling, but resolute) If it were just me, I would've stayed. I could live with the fact that I had feelings for a man like Viktor. Given the time we're in, he's not the worst choice... but Malik comes first. He deserves a fresh start—even if he won't remember this. I started as a pregnant slave, and I won't forget that. But I've grown close to both Viktor and my son. The poor man got terrible timing and wonderful taste. If we're meant to find each other again, one of us will make it happen. But right now? We need space
Section 2: What Lurks in the Mirrors
Q: Viktor, when did you know your shadow was no longer just yours?
Viktor: "Well, the Shadow Man was dancing with my shadow one time in his underground wine cellar. He and Sabine went to talk about something over a stupid bet. Then the shadow became my drinking buddy. That's the true story."
Q: Sabine, did you mean for the mirror spell to go that far?
Sabine: "Yes. I meant for it to go that far. People think because I'm a Fater, I'm supposed to be all mysterious and all-knowing. And sure, I am kind of all-knowing—but we don't do that 'mysterious BS' in my house. Viktor deserved enough respect from me to play the Mirror Game fair and true. That was the name of it, by the way: Le Jeu Miroir, or the Mirror Game. A tradition older than velvet and twice as sharp. And I played it knowing it could end in ruin. But I didn't expect it to feel like losing family."
Q: Ayoka, whose future scared you the most?
Ayoka: "No ones knows cause the future is not set in stone. "
Section 3: On the Child
Q: Is Malik a weapon, a compass, a godling... or just a child?
Sabine: "Just a baby. A baby who doesnt known what is going on but his two parents just can handle their fucking feelings."
Q: Viktor, are you afraid he'll hate you one day?
Viktor: "No, I could understand why he would hate me but than again I think the boy would feel more conflict. If he started to called me Father than I would be happy and honest about his orgins. If his mother's allow or if he get old enough to start wondering why he doesnt got dragons wings like me."
Section 4: Love or Leash?
Q: Sabine, do you think Ayoka and Viktor are in love?
Sabine: "Yes. And it terrifies me. Not because they don't love each other—but because everyone, including their shadows, knows exactly why they won't admit it. That kind of honesty would rip open too many truths at once. I hate slow burns for that reason. They're all tension, no flame, until someone finally explodes."
Q: Ayoka, do you trust him?
Ayoka: "No, I trust him... just enough. My trust is like a mustard seed—tiny, stubborn, and it still grows in the dark."
Q: Viktor, if she left you for good... what would you do?
(Viktor stays silent. His shadow answers by curling into a spiral.)
Section 5: On the Shadow Man
Q: What is his goal?
Sabine: "Revenge. Theater. Worship. Maybe all three."
Q: Is Ayoka really his priestess now?
Ayoka: (squinting, confused) "Who? Sorry, I don't... I don't know anything about no Shadow Man. Unless you're talking about the thing that sometimes makes my shadow twitch? I thought that was just stress. Or maybe Viktor's fault."
Q: Viktor, what was the real deal you made?
Viktor: "The kind that costs more than it saves."
Audience Scrolls (Meta Fan Questions):
"Did Genevieve ever actually love Viktor?"Viktor: "No. She just hated being unloved more than anything.""Why did no one notice Ayoka's shadow was alive?"Sabine: "We did. But we live in a magical world, and none of us truly knew at the time—besides Viktor and the shadows themselves. For all we knew, it could've just been Ayoka using whatever strange tricks she picked up from her true home."