Aria couldn't stop shaking, no matter how hard she tried not to.
Her hands trembled at her sides, her breath came in uneven pulls, and every now and then her knees buckled slightly beneath her, forcing her to brace herself. The floor was still clearly stained with blood, dark and tacky in places where it hadn't yet been cleaned. The gruesome sight, combined with the metallic scent that hung stubbornly in the air, made her stomach twist violently.
And yet, it wasn't the blood that made her body shudder—it was the memory.
The memory of what had happened just moments ago.
It played in her head on a loop. Martha… That had been Martha.
The same girl who'd knocked lightly on her door and dropped off food and snacks. The one Aria had exchanged small smiles with, shared a few polite words with—human enough to be forgettable in a place so filled with monsters. Harmless.
