Secrets of blooming estate book one

Epilogue hope for the future

Months had passed since the fall of the Garden. Blooming Estate was no longer the place of mystique and dread it once was. Without the Garden's influence, the once-wild and vibrant grounds had settled into a quiet, unremarkable landscape. The twisting vines that had once hummed with power now lay dormant, their magic lost. What remained was just a patch of land, stripped of its former grandeur.

Sophia stood at the edge of the estate, watching the sun sink below the horizon, casting an amber glow over the hills. The silence was comforting now, not eerie, as it had been in the beginning. The Society had disbanded shortly after the Garden's collapse, most of its members scattering to lives they had left behind or never known outside the Estate's shadow. Some still sought to understand what had happened, hoping to reclaim a fragment of the power they had once revered, but Sophia knew better. There was no going back.

Beatrice, true to her word, had stayed. She and Sophia worked together to repurpose the Estate, not as a place of power, but of knowledge. The Library of the Society had survived, and Sophia had insisted they open it to the public. What remained of the Garden's history, the Marlowe legacy, and the secrets the Society once guarded were now available to anyone who sought to learn from them. The knowledge was no longer dangerous—just a relic of a time gone by.

As for Sophia, the emptiness she had first felt after the Garden's destruction had slowly been replaced by a quiet strength. She had spent her whole life chasing something—answers, purpose, a connection to the Garden's mysteries. But in destroying it, she had found something unexpected: herself.

The memories of that final night in the underground chamber still haunted her, but the nightmares had lessened. She knew that the decision she made was the right one, even if it meant losing the Garden's power forever. Some things weren't meant to be controlled. Some forces were too dangerous to linger in the world.

Beatrice approached from behind, her footsteps soft on the grass. "You're up here again," she said, standing beside Sophia and following her gaze toward the sunset.

Sophia smiled faintly. "I like it up here. It's peaceful."

Beatrice nodded. "The work on the Library is almost done. We'll be ready to open next week."

"That's good," Sophia replied, though her voice carried a note of detachment.

Beatrice tilted her head, studying her. "You've been quiet lately. More than usual."

Sophia shrugged, her eyes still fixed on the horizon. "I've been thinking. About the Garden. About everything that's happened. I've spent my whole life tied to this place, to its power, its secrets. But now that it's gone, I wonder... What's next?"

Beatrice smiled softly, understanding. "You're free now, Sophia. Free to choose your own path. The Garden doesn't define you anymore."

Sophia breathed in deeply, letting the words settle. Free. It was a concept she hadn't fully grasped until now. The Garden's power had always been a tether, keeping her anchored to something larger, something beyond herself. But now, for the first time in her life, the future was hers to shape.

"I think it's time I leave the Estate," Sophia said quietly, surprising herself with the finality of the statement. "There's a world beyond this place, and I need to see it. To see who I am outside of all this."

Beatrice's expression softened, though Sophia could see the sadness in her eyes. "You've earned that. You deserve to see what's out there."

Sophia turned to face her, feeling the weight of the decision lift from her shoulders. "You'll keep the Estate running? Keep sharing the knowledge?"

Beatrice smiled. "Of course. But don't worry. This place will always be here, should you ever want to come back."

Sophia nodded, grateful. She turned her gaze back to the sunset one last time. The light was fading, but in its place was the promise of a new day, a new beginning.

As she walked away from the Estate, leaving behind the ghosts of her past, Sophia felt a sense of peace settle over her. The Garden was gone, its legacy reduced to memories and books, but her story was far from over. There was a whole world waiting, and this time, she would face it not as the girl bound by the secrets of the past, but as Sophia—herself, at last.