I had three reconstructive surgeries in total.
When the bandages were removed the first time, I still couldn't bring myself to look in the mirror.
My new friend didn't tell me to be brave. She simply sat with me by the window, chatting for a long time.
She waited until I looked up on my own before handing me the mirror.
The scar on my face was still there, but it was no longer grotesque.
I reached out and touched it, suddenly remembering what Briar said after she got out of the hospital.
She said anyone who saw my face would find it terrifying.
But my new friends didn't.
Later, Silas removed the forbidden marks from my body.
The Spirit‑Guiding Lotus faded first, and the Healer's Mark then cracked and faded into faint lines.
The last to disappear was the blue‑scaled snake on my wa
