Chapter 7: The World Beyond the Glass
Aven first saw it by accident.
Or at least… it looked like an accident.
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Hazel Leaves Again
That morning, Hazel dressed differently again.
Not like a mother.
Not like someone staying at home.
But like the version of herself Aven was slowly learning existed beyond the mansion.
Elegant clothes.
Light makeup.
Calm, practiced movements.
Aven watched quietly from her mother's arms.
Something about Hazel today felt… distant.
Not emotionally.
But physically.
Like she was stepping into another world entirely.
Aaron noticed first.
"Mommy is pretty today!" he said loudly.
Ethan stood beside him, watching carefully but saying nothing.
Ian blinked slowly.
Alder, of course, reached for Aven immediately.
Hazel smiled at them gently.
"I have filming today," she said softly.
Filming.
That word again.
Aven finally focused.
Hazel noticed her gaze and bent slightly closer.
"It's acting," she explained gently. "Mommy tells stories in front of cameras."
A pause.
Then she added with a soft smile:
"But I always come back home."
Aven didn't fully understand.
But she understood the feeling.
Hazel was stepping into a world where she was seen by others.
A world Aven had never thought about before.
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Ethan's First Question
That afternoon, Ethan approached Luca.
"Is Mother famous?" he asked seriously.
Luca paused.
Then nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Ethan absorbed that.
Then looked toward the door where Hazel had left.
"…so many people see her."
Luca looked at him quietly.
"Yes."
Ethan frowned slightly.
Then, very seriously:
"Then I'll study harder."
Luca blinked.
"…why?"
"So I can make sure no one can treat her badly," Ethan said simply.
Luca didn't respond immediately.
But something in his expression softened slightly.
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Aaron Misunderstands Everything
Aaron, meanwhile, took the news in a completely different direction.
"Mommy is like a star?" he asked loudly.
"No wonder she shines!"
Then he immediately decided:
"I will also become a star!"
No one knew what kind of star.
But he was very committed to the idea.
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Ian's Quiet Understanding
Ian didn't say anything.
But he watched Hazel leave longer than usual.
Then he quietly walked to Aven and sat beside her.
No explanation.
Just presence.
As if deciding that if one important person in the house stepped into another world…
he would stay closer to the one who remained.
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Alder's Reaction
Alder reacted the simplest.
He cried.
Not because Hazel left.
But because Aven was not being held at that exact moment.
Once he was placed beside her, he immediately calmed down.
As always.
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Aven's Thought
So she belongs to another world too…
That thought stayed with her longer than expected