Serena stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Drops of blood still slid down her cheek, tracing her pale skin. Her face looked strange, like her expression had frozen in place.
She couldn't tell what she was feeling anymore.
There were too many things inside her chest...fear, anger, confusion...all twisting together until she couldn't breathe.
She lifted her hand and wiped the blood from her face. The smear left a dark mark across her cheek, almost like a flower drawn in red.
For a long moment, she just stared at that mark as if she wanted to dig into her own reflection, to see what was hidden underneath.
Then, slowly, her lips curved.
It wasn't a real smile. It looked wrong.
A scoff escaped her lips, breaking the silence. She looked away from the mirror.
Without another word, she reached for her gown.
It had been beautiful that morning, like something made for spring. Now it was soaked in blood, heavy and cold.
