[Music recommendation: CLANN - Darkness to Light]
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As the hood slid backward to expose her features, Aliana stood rooted on the spot, struck by a mixture of profound awe and shock.
Before her stood one of the most gorgeous women she had ever laid eyes on. The woman possessed thick, jet-black hair, devilishly beautiful almond-shaped eyes framed by dense lashes, rosy red lips, and a sharp, elegant nose. She radiated an undeniable aura of someone formidable.
Yet such divine beauty was terrifyingly fractured. Across the right side of her face, black, root-like veins pulsed beneath pale skin, crawling down her cheekbone, wrapping around her throat, and plunging out of sight beneath her high collar. Even her eyes were mismatched, one glowing a soft, icy blue while the other burnt a deep crimson red.
No words escaped Aliana's lips.
