Vee woke up early the next morning, rubbing the sleep from her eye before realising that it was time to start her day off on the right foot. She slipped out of bed, being careful to not wake any of the others, and made her way to the kitchen, eager to surprise the others with a delicious breakfast. As she started pulling out ingredients and getting to work, her mind couldn't help but wander back to her fears from the previous night. She knew she had to prove herself to be a valuable member of the family, and she hoped that this small act would be the first step towards doing just that. Or at least buy enough goodwill for her to be properly useful.
As the aroma of a hearty breakfast and freshly brewed coffee filled the air, Vee heard the others starting to stir. She grinned to herself, hoping that the delicious smells would entice them out of bed. Sure enough, one by one, the rest of the household emerged from their rooms, looking bleary-eyed but grateful.
"Good morning, Vee!" Camila exclaimed as she entered the kitchen, still in her nightgown. "This smells amazing. Thank you for making breakfast."
Vee blushed at the compliment, feeling a sense of pride and relief wash over her at Camila's positive feedback. "It's the least I could do," she replied, trying to play it cool. "I just want to help out and make sure the others don't have to worry about anything."
"Are you going to eat with us?" Luz asked, her fork paused in midair as she noticed Vee's absence from the table.
"Don't worry about me," Vee dismissed Luz's concerns, already running the tap as she prepared to scrub the dishes. But despite her nonchalant words, she couldn't shake off the feeling of awkwardness that lingered between them.
Vee had already grabbed herself a quick orange juice before the others had even woken up. She knew that her presence was still a sensitive subject for Luz, despite the latter's assurances that she was happy to see Vee. So she decided to keep busy by tackling the daunting task of washing up and keeping her distance when in her basilisk form.
As Vee scrubbed at the stubborn burnt-on bits on the pans, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the lively conversation going on at the table. She wanted to join in, to help them on their first real day in the human world, but she instead focused on the washing up. But even as she toiled away in the kitchen, she couldn't help but listen in on the others' plans for the day.
"Hopefully today we can get started on the portal," Luz said excitedly, shovelling food into her mouth as she spoke. "If we can just recreate the magic on this side, then surely I can get the portal working and get everyone a way back home."
"You mean we can work together to make the portal," Amity interjected, reaching out to take Luz's hand. But a quick shake of Luz's head and a deliberate glance at Camila made Amity pause. Vee couldn't help but roll her eyes at the awkward dance between the two. It was clear that Luz was still not ready to openly acknowledge their relationship, but her attempts at secrecy were failing miserably.
"Of course I mean all of us," Luz said with a fake laugh, causing Vee to hesitate. She was torn between calling out Luz's forced cheer and avoiding getting involved in their tension. She decided to keep her distance and avoid adding to the already strained dynamic, besides her plan was to be as unnoticeable as possible.
But Vee's efforts to stay unnoticed were quickly thwarted when her phone rang. Vee was still elbow-deep in soapy water, trying to scrub off the last of the burnt mushrooms from the pan, so she could do nothing as Luz grabbed the phone off the counter. "I've got it!"
"Hey!" Vee called out, but Luz had already answered the phone with a smile. A smile which only grew wider as she listened to the voice on the other end. She turned to Vee with a smirk, waggling her eyebrows as the conversation continued. "Oh, I am definitely free to meet up today. Yeah? Okay, see you then."
Luz ended the call and placed the phone back on the counter. "Sounds like someone has made quite a few friends since I was gone," she said with a hint of amusement. Vee couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the reminder of her own social life which she had created using Luz's form. A social life that she now had to give back to it's real owner, Luz.
"Was it Masha?" Vee asked hesitantly, finally rinsing off the pot and drying her hands before grabbing the phone.
"Yeah, she wanted to meet up-" Luz began.
"They go by 'they', actually," Vee interjected sheepishly.
"Oh right, well they want to meet up with you and some of your other friends from camp, I think?" Luz continued with a shrug. "It sounds like you've found quite a few friends over here."
"Why did you say yes?" Vee complained, scrolling through their group chat to see what they were planning.
"Why wouldn't you want to meet with your friends?" Luz asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I would love to meet with my friends," Vee huffed, "But I can't because they are expecting a friend that looks like you, Luz."
"Why is that an issue?" Luz asked, crossing her arms and giving Vee a curious look. "Look, I'm okay with you using my form if you need to. I don't want you to give up your friends just because I'm back."
"It's not that simple," Vee protested, shoving her phone back into her pocket. "They want to go to the mall, so everyone will see 'Luz' there. We can't have people seeing the two of us."
"Why not? If we get caught, we could always pretend that you are a long-lost identical twin who was off living with a relative in another country," Luz told her sweetly. "We can even use that to explain why we act differently. We can say that we secretly swapped before camp and we got caught, so now we both live here. It'll totally work out."
"I have watched that movie too, Luz, and I also remember that it didn't work out in the end," Vee shot back, annoyed that Luz would just dismiss her concerns.
"Vee, Luz," Camila interrupted, carrying over her own plate. "I think that Luz is correct, Vee. You deserve to spend time with your friends. I do understand your concerns, so for now, Luz can stay here and help her friends get acclimated to our world, okay ambas de mis maravillosas hijas."
Luz's eyes widened in surprise as she heard the Spanish phrase, though Vee could only comprehend that Camila was giving Luz some sort of compliment. Vee couldn't shake off the pang of exclusion that seemed to overwhelm her whenever Luz was present and Camila subconsciously switched back to spanish. Luz at least looked happy at whatever Camila had said.
"I swear to be cautious and return before it gets too late," Vee promised Camila with a nod.
"You always are careful," Camila reassured her gently, placing a comforting hand on Vee's shoulder. "I'll just fetch my keys and drive you into town, alright?"
"Thanks Camila" Vee nervously shapeshifted in Luz's form, ignoring the strange expression from Amity. Sometimes it was better to not know what was going on in other people's minds but with a blush that strong Vee had a fair idea of what was going on in Amity's mind.
"I still think this is a bad idea," Vee pointed out as Camila expertly navigated her car through the crowded mall parking lot. "I should've just told them that I couldn't make it."
"Vee, you don't need to sacrifice the life you've built. Allow yourself to enjoy it," Camila told her as she carefully backed the car into a nearby spot, turning off the engine and giving Vee her full attention. "Please, Luz and I want you to have fun. Don't worry about Luz's life for now, just focus on your own. I don't think she'll mind if you borrow her face for a bit."
"How can I do that if I'm ruining Luz's life?" Vee shot back, her voice bitter with guilt. "She's not going to be happy when she sees how much I've made everything worse for her."
"Luz has already earned herself a rather colourful reputation in our town, I don't think you're going to cause her any more issues than the ones she's already created for herself," Camila chuckled and gave Vee a soft smile. "Just enjoy yourself and your friends. We can figure out what to do about the whole identity stuff later."
"Okay," Vee relented, opening the door and getting out as Camila started the car to leave. She knew that there was no point in arguing when Camila was this sure of herself.
"Make sure you give me a call when you want to be picked up," Camila called out to her as she closed the door. Vee paused and gave a brief nod, then headed into the mall, pausing only long enough to wave Camila goodbye. However, as soon as Camila was out of sight, Vee hesitated heading inside. Instead she lingered at the entryway, wondering if this was really the right thing to do.
Vee knew that if she met her friends while in Luz's form, it would only worsen the problems she had already caused in Luz's life. But she also knew that this would likely be one of the last times she could spend time with her friends. With Luz's return, there would be fewer and fewer opportunities for Vee to pretend to be Luz, so every chance was precious. However, this did little to alleviate the burning guilt within her. Camila might have thought that Vee couldn't cause any issues, but Vee knew that every moment she spent with Masha and the others was a risk.
Vee was suddenly seized by a powerful grip, and when she spun around, she was met with a beaming face. It was Masha, and it was clear that the two were equally delighted to see each other. "It's about time you got here, Luz," Masha exclaimed, their grip on Vee's hand unyielding as they pulled her into the mall. "The others are already waiting for us."
Vee tried to protest, but her words were playful. "You don't need to drag me," she said, making her way through the winding corridors of the mall. "I do have legs, you know."
"Hey, there they are!" Masha exclaimed, their eyes fixed on their two friends who were huddled around a table in the food court, their attention focused on something on their phone.
"Hey, guys!" Vee called out, trying to sound as natural as possible. Her friends turned to face her and Vee couldn't help noticing that Zeno quickly stuffed his phone into his pocket, a look of surprise on his face.
"Luz, you made it!" Molly exclaimed, a wide smile on her face as she jumped up and gave Vee a high five. She seemed unreasonably happy, or at least she did in comparison to Zeno who was normally a lot more reserved.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss hanging out with you guys," Vee replied, grinning. But despite her happy expression, guilt weighed heavy on her conscience. She had tried to brush them off earlier, and now she was here pretending the complete opposite
Masha's eyes widened in mischievousness as they asked, "So, why don't you two tell Luz why we are all here so early today?"
"We're going to solve a mystery!" Zeno replied, attempting to sound as mysterious as possible as he pulled his phone back out of his pocket and vaguely waving it in their direction.
Vee wasn't convinced, "Seriously?"
Molly sighed, gesturing for Zeno to hand over his phone. After a few taps on the screen, she began to explain, "Zeno and I were trying to get some more of those cool cards, but they all ran out. However, while we were badgering Jacob for another set, we noticed something off about the place. So, we decided to have a peek into the employees only area, and that man is a freak. He has the most ridiculously over-designed set of armour, as if he thinks he's an emperor or something."
Vee shivered at the mention of the man who caged her up and tried to literally dissect her. Sometimes when she was trying to sleep she could hear the sound of his poorly made armour rattling as if he was somewhere nearby. Sleep was sometimes more difficult than she wanted it to be. Despite her discomfort, she stayed quiet, not wanting to explain why she didn't want to hear his name. Masha, however, noticed her reaction and cut to the chase, "Molly, Jacob is kind of a creep. Can you just tell us what you found?"
"Molly found basically everything," Zeno laughed, "but she was too busy staring at everything to actually get any evidence."
Molly shrugged, "Well, I didn't, but at least you managed to get a few pictures of the place before Jacob kicked us out. So, I was hoping that together we could work out what he has all that junk for."
"Well, you're not going to win any photography competitions," Masha declared, gesturing to Zeno's phone which displayed a series of blurry pictures of a cluttered room, however almost nothing was recognizable.
Vee sat awkwardly with her friends, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as they discussed their plans to investigate Jacob's strange behaviour. She felt incredibly uncomfortable as they continued to talk about Jacob, though Vee knew that if she said anything then the slightest mistake could reveal everything. So she started to just let them talk, ignoring their words so that she could focus on the comfort of just being near them.
"Hey, Luz," Masha said, turning to face her. "Are you okay? You seem really out of it."
"Huh?" Vee jolted, surprised to see all three of them staring at her. She blushed as she realised that her nervousness had been far too obvious. "Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought," Vee lied.
"If you're uncomfortable listening to this, we can do this some other time," Masha suggested, their voice full of concern.
"No, it's okay." Vee answered quickly, not wanting to force her friends to stop just because she was feeling a little off. So she decides to tell them a little bit of the truth wrapped in a white lie. "I just know that Camila doesn't like him because she's pretty sure he's been setting up traps in the forest."
"Traps?" Molly asked, leaning closer with a sense of excitement. "What is he trying to catch?"
Vee hesitated, her mind racing as she tried to come up with an excuse. She knew that if she told them the truth, they would never look at her the same way again knowing she was just a basilisk that stole the face of their friend. But if she lied, they might become suspicious and start poking around, putting themselves in danger.
"No idea," Vee finally said, hoping that they would just accept her answer and move on. "She just has to help look after the animals ensnared in traps, they often take a while to recover."
"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," Zeno pointed out, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"It is definitely illegal," Masha added, a frown creasing their forehead. "I'm guessing this is bringing up some bad memories from animals your mom helped?"
"Yeah," Vee admitted, a little nervous at how close they had managed to get to the truth.
"Okay, I think we can change the topic." Molly interjected, clearly uncomfortable at putting their friend into such a distressed state. "I know that there is apparently an Azura movie coming out next week, who else is interested to see how they butcher the adaptation."
"Well they made a mockery of the series twice already, so I guess it's third time lucky," Vee chuckled, happy that they had finally moved onto a topic that felt a lot safer.
"Well, I hope they're better than the last two," Masha said with a sigh. "But either way, we should definitely go see it together. It'll be fun."
"With the quality of that series, the quality might actually hit a negative rating," Zeno sneered, his disdain for the movies all too clear. "I'm surprised that you've even bothered watching it, Luz. You usually avoid fantasy like the plague."
Vee's mind raced, trying to come up with an excuse for her sudden interest in the movie. In her panic, she blurted out, "Camila wanted to watch it with me when her daughter comes back."
The words hung in the air like a thick fog, leaving an eerie silence among her friends. They exchanged curious glances before Masha spoke up, "You have a sister, Luz? Why have you never mentioned her before?"
Vee frantically scrambled for a plausible excuse, her mind racing with fear of her secret being uncovered.
"I-it's complicated," Vee stammered, avoiding their gazes. "We don't see each other often, and she's... different. But I love her, I just wish she would be more careful."
"Well, we'll have to meet her sometime," Masha grinned, unaware of the panic brewing within Vee. "I'm sure we'd all get along. What's her name? It might be fun to have a second Noceda to hang out with."
Vee forced a smile, her mind racing with how to keep her secret safe. "Maybe, maybe," she replied evasively, the weight of her deception heavy on her shoulders.
"We'll have to plan something soon," Masha continued, unaware of Vee's worries. "Maybe we can all go to the movies together or something. I can't wait to meet her."
Vee's heart sank as she realised that there was no way she could easily get out of this mess, especially not with Masha being so insistent. Vee knew that she would have to tell Luz about the brand new mess that Vee had created, and the thought made her stomach twist with anxiety. How would her sister react? Would she even want to meet her friends, or would she be angry with Vee for pretending to be her for so long? Vee couldn't shake the feeling that this was the beginning of the end, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of what was to come.
"She's not exactly... ready?," Vee tried to hesitantly argue, her voice growing increasingly desperate. "She's been through a lot and she needs time to adjust."
"I understand," Masha said, their voice laced with concern. "We'll give her space, but we still want to meet her eventually."
Vee could feel the sweat starting to bead on her forehead, her heart racing as she frantically searched for a way out. She knew that if she didn't leave soon, she would crumble in front of her friends and expose her secret. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she blurted out, standing up abruptly. "I'll talk to my sister and see if she's up for meeting everyone."
Masha and the others looked at her with confusion and concern as she gathered her things and made a hasty exit. Vee could feel their eyes on her as she walked away, knowing that she had just dug herself into an even deeper hole. She couldn't shake the feeling that her time as Luz was coming to an end, and the thought filled her with a sense of dread and despair.
Vee scrambled to escape the mall, her mind racing with the weight of her mistake. She couldn't bear the thought of facing her friends after letting slip about Luz's existence. Her heart pounding in her chest, she trudged towards the bus stop, her steps heavy with defeat. But as she arrived, she saw the bus pulling away, leaving her stranded. A feeling of hopelessness washed over her, as if the universe was conspiring against her. She knew that she had to make it back home, she couldn't stay here, not now. She made the decision to walk home, she needed the time to process and try to make sense of this latest development and how to move forward. The journey was going to be long, but at least she would have the time to try and think of a way to salvage this mess.
As Vee trudged along the hot pavement, her mind raced with regrets and sun beat down on her, but it was nothing compared to the heat of the guilt searing her from the inside. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made an enormous mistake, that her friends were on the edge of revealing her deception. She knew that her friends would almost certainly never forgive her for pretending to be someone she wasn't. She felt guilty for leading them on, for taking advantage of their trust, and for being so selfish as to want friends at the expense of Luz's happiness.
Her thoughts turned to Luz, and she felt a wave of dread wash over her. How would she react when she found out? Would she be angry? Disappointed? Would she ever be able to forgive Vee for what she had done? Vee knew that whatever Luz's reaction, she deserved it. She had been foolish to think that she could have friends without consequences, without hurting the people she loved. Vee felt a heavy weight on her chest as she realised that she had failed Camila. She was not even close to fulfilling her vow to be the perfect sister for Luz, and that the only thing she could do now was try to make amends.
As Vee opened the door to her home, a sense of dread washed over her as the silence of the empty house greeted her. She frantically searched every room, her heart racing as she realised that no one was home. Clutching her phone, she went to call Camila, before noticing that there was a text message that she'd missed from Luz. With growing fear, Vee opened a text message from Luz, her heart pounding as she read the cryptic message filled with emojis.
🏠🔮🚪🔜🏃 ️💨
Vee's mind raced as she tried to decipher the meaning behind the string of emojis, desperately trying to make sense of it all. She quickly typed out a response, demanding that Luz clarify the message in actual words.
But as the seconds ticked by with no response, Vee couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. And as she read the garbled response from Luz, Vee sighed and slapped a hand over the face.
"we at the abandon hous head over when back"
Luz's texting abilities really only stretched to communicating by emojis, so Vee wasn't that surprised to see that her responses were a mess of spelling errors and grammar. Still it was legible enough for her to work out that they were likely at the abandoned house looking into getting the portal to work. At least there was nothing for her to actually worry about.
Vee heaved a deep sigh of despair as she reluctantly put her phone back in her pocket. She should have known better than to text Luz, she thought with regret. Now, instead of being able to take a nap, she was forced to venture into a dark and spooky forest, en route to an even more sinister house. Even worse, she would be forcing them to deal with her basilisk form again. Steeling herself, she shut the door behind her and began to trudge along the overgrown path, wishing she had never gotten out of bed that morning.
Soon enough, the decrepit house loomed into view and Vee was unsurprised to see Luz and her mother in deep conversation out the front. It seemed that Luz had even managed to bring a marker-board out to the house, which was already covered in a plethora of colourful images. But Vee couldn't help shuddering at the hand drawn pictures of the portal, the mere image making her fear that Emperor Belos was about to come bursting out of it at any moment and drag her back to her cage. Knowing that she was no longer visible from the road, Vee let herself relax and shift back into her true form, frowning as she felt it shift into form. She didn't really feel as comfortable when she wasn't disguised, but she knew from experience that it was impossible for her to keep her emotions in check while also trying to hold a complex transformation.
With a forced wave, Vee greeted the others, desperately trying to conceal the terror that had gripped her in its icy clutches as she saw Luz and Camila look her way. "Hey, what are you up to?", her voice quivered, but she prayed that they didn't notice. Luz, however, was so deep in concentration, that she barely acknowledged Vee's presence, her hand moving at a feverish pace as she frantically scrawled on the marker board. Vee wasn't sure if the intricate details on the diagrams of Amity would be of any use for their plans, but she knew better than to question Luz's methods.
"Luz was just explaining some of her theories," Camila sweetly told her.
"I haven't got time to chat now, Vee. I'm only halfway through," Luz responded, barely looking up, as she pulled her mother closer to the board, and began to run through yet another set of seemingly made-up equations. Camila wore a thin smile on her face, but Vee could tell that her mind was elsewhere, more focused on her daughter's presence than the task at hand.
She felt the unwelcome feeling of jealousy hit her as wished Camila would look at her that way, but she shook her head to clear the bad feelings. However she didn't get much time to get rid of the intrusive thoughts before she was interrupted by one of Luz's witch friends.
"Luz is getting a little too passionate, isn't she? Come inside and join us." Willow chuckled suddenly as she stepped out the door, before pulling Vee inside the abandoned house and leaving Luz and Camila outside to continue their one-sided conversation. Inside, Vee could see that they had already made efforts to clean the room and an old couch had been dragged into what was now clearly the living room. Amity was lying on it, leafing through an Azura book, while Gus and Hunter were both engrossed in something on Camila's tablet, likely a cartoon that Luz had recommended.
"How long has she been like this?" Vee inquired, gesturing back outside at the animated Luz.
"Most of the morning," Amity sighed contentedly, "It's been a nice change from yesterday. Better to be passionate than miserable, right?"
"I guess so?" Vee inquired with a hint of trepidation, her gaze meeting Willow's as they both shared the same apprehension. "So, how are you all going?"
"Gus and Hunter are enthralled by Monster Slayer Academia and Amity found out that there are a lot more Good Witch Azura books" Willow explained as Vee shot her a questioning look.
"They had an entire series!" Amity called back before returning her focus to the words in front of her.
"They're all pretty much consumed by their own little worlds," Willow replied, her tone nonchalant as if she wasn't too concerned about her friends becoming social outcasts.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Vee asked, her laughter dissipating as she noticed Willow's face had lost its smile.
"Can we talk alone about something?" Willow barely even waited for Vee's nod before she ushered Vee further into the house, closing a door behind them.
"Is this about them getting stuck on human stuff," Vee asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, that's fine. At least It's better than thinking about our families and friends in the Boiling Isles," Willow sighed. "Vee, I can't really talk to the others about this, but I think we need to face the fact that I'm not sure that we'll ever get back home. The portal had to be powered by Titan blood and there isn't any of that here."
"I'm sure that we can find another way to reopen it," Vee pointed out carefully, doing her best to hide her frown. The idea of the portal never reopening sounded like a dream come true to her, knowing that there would be no way for her to be dragged back into the hellish world where she had grown up. However, she also knew that Luz and her friends did want to go back and the guilt of being happy about something that made them miserable was eating away at her. There was also a small part of her that wished that the portal would reopen and Luz would leave again, letting Vee have Camila for herself again. Vee squashed that bitter thought before it could take hold, she knew that Camila would never let Luz leave her again.
"I know it's hard to hear that you can't go home," Willow spoke to Vee with a heavy heart, moving to pull Vee into a comforting embrace. However, Vee gently pushed her away.
"This world is my home now," Vee stated awkwardly, stepping back a little from Willow as she tried to keep the frown off her face. She didn't want to make the witch angry with her, but she was tired of pretending that the other realm was anything other than a nightmare for her.
"You don't want to go back?" Willow asked with a frown, as she tried to reach out again, but Vee pushed her away.
"There is nothing for me there," Vee stated coldly, trying her best to keep her voice steady, but her emotions were bubbling just beneath the surface.
"But what about your family, or your friends?" Willow protested, looking horrified at the prospect of Vee refusing to return to the demon realm. "I'm sure they are missing you."
"I don't have a family," Vee shot back with venom, gritting her teeth as she fought against the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She didn't want to break down in front of Willow, she was stronger than that. "So, when I say that I have nothing there, I mean it."
"What about those that raised you? Surely, they want to see you again," Willow persisted, her voice gentler now.
"They wouldn't," Vee replied, her voice heavy with sadness with a hint of anger bubbling beneath. An anger that she could just not push down any more. Vee felt herself nearing her limit, so she tried to redirect the conversation. "Did Luz never tell you about me?"
"I mean she told us a little about how you accidentally took on her form and got trapped over here," Willow hesitantly pointed out, her voice growing uncertain with each word.
"I didn't get stuck in this world, I chose to come here and I've never wanted to return. I didn't accidentally take Luz's form, I stole it on purpose so I could make a life here, away from that hell I left behind," Vee spat out as her voice thickened with emotions that she could barely contain. "Do you really think that the demon realm likes basilisks? Do you really think that they saw me as an intelligent creature?"
Willow reached out in a desperate attempt to show Vee some small form of comfort, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked, "What did they do?"
"You don't deserve to know," Vee said coldly, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought to push her emotions back down, but despite her best efforts, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She knew that this was too much, she didn't want to tell Willow, she just wanted to get away. Willow had dredged up the worst of her past, and Vee couldn't bear to relive it again.
With a growl of anger, Vee shoved past Willow and flung open the door, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Throwing on a mask of anger, she stormed out, refusing to respond to any questions thrown her way. She almost paused as she heard Camila call out to her, but she didn't want Camila to see her like this, she didn't want anyone to see her like this. She kept walking, determined to put as much distance as possible between her and her painful past.
With a rage-fueled burst, Vee arrived back home, not even bothering to conceal her true basilisk form as she violently shoved open the door and slammed it shut behind her. The doorframe shook with the force, but Vee didn't care. She just wanted the overwhelming emotions to disappear, for the memories to stop tormenting her, for the darkness to stop taunting her. She just wanted it all to disappear, so she could pull herself back together and pretend that she was okay.
She stormed into the bathroom, pausing just long enough to close the door behind her before scrambling into the tub and turning on the cold water full blast. As the water level rose, she settled into the tub and finally allowed herself to start crying. But each tear felt like a scorching brand as it rolled down her cheeks, each one feeling more unearned than the last.
She felt horrible, sitting there in misery despite having everything she ever wanted. She wanted a family and got Camila. She wanted to escape Emperor Belos and got a new world far away. She wanted to be free and she was. The others were miserable, separated from those they cared about, and yet here she was, crying because of a few bad memories.
Trying to rub away her tears, she screamed in frustration when they just kept falling. She wanted the pain to go away, to forget the memories that hurt her and the darkness that mocked her. Slamming her fist against the side of the tub, she screamed out in desperation for it all to disappear.