[Hazel]
The hallway outside my room was dim, but it felt blinding. My heels struck the polished floor in uneven beats, echoing down the corridor like gunshots. I didn’t know where I was going—I just knew I had to move. If I stayed still, I’d shatter.
The air was thick. Too warm. Too tight. My dress clung to my skin, suddenly unbearable, suffocating. My hair stuck to my neck like vines. The scent of pine garlands and vanilla candles—once festive—now made my stomach turn.
I reached the end of the hallway and braced a hand against the cold wall, pressing my forehead to the wallpaper. My breaths came in short, sharp gasps. I tried to suck in air, but it wouldn’t stay—it just trembled out of me again in shuddering waves.
I couldn’t stop seeing her face—Elisabeth’s. I didn’t even need to hea
