Shadows of What Could Have Been

Celestial Anestia Howkingson was born beneath the relentless glare of the spotlight, into a world where fame was not earned but inherited, woven into her bloodline like a legacy she never asked for. From the moment she could walk, the cameras followed. Scripts replaced lullabies. Autographs were her childhood scribbles. Acting was not a choice. It was her family's heirloom, passed down like a crown too heavy for her tender dreams. Yet behind every polished performance was a girl whose heart whispered of courtrooms, not stages, whose deepest longing was not applause but justice.

She spent her youth beside Lanvin Consteo Liu, her onscreen partner and the nation's golden boy. He adored the chaos of celebrity and wore fame like a second skin. Their chemistry was effortless. Millions supported them, believed they were in love. And perhaps, for a time, Celestial believed it too. With Lanvin, everything sparkled, but the ache never left. Beneath the glitter, she yearned for a life that was truly hers. A life of meaning.

So she walked away.

At the height of her fame, she vanished. No drama, no headlines. Just silence and the quiet beginning of the life she truly wanted. She traded gowns for law books, red carpets for courtroom floors, and applause for purpose.

Lanvin stayed. He chased the spotlight a little longer. But without Celestial, the glamour dulled. The applause faded. In that stillness, he remembered who he had once dreamed of becoming. He walked away too, from scripts to scalpels, from performance to healing.

And now that they have become the best versions of themselves, no longer defined by fame but by truth, could it finally work? After all the detours and all the quiet years, could fate be offering them a second chance? Maybe now they are no longer too young or too afraid to choose each other for real. Or maybe not. But the question lingers, soft and persistent. Will love, this time, be enough?