Alabasta was alive with the magic of Christmas. Lavish festivals and extravagant parties filled the air with contagious cheer. The city streets were adorned with twinkling lights, and cheerful Christmas songs played so loudly that the melodies floated all the way to the mansion, seeping through its grand windows and quiet hallways. But for Sophie, the festive sounds felt like a cruel contrast to the storm raging within her.
Her cries echoed softly in her room, muffled by the pillows she clutched against her chest. The charm bracelet she had hugged to her chest moments earlier now lay discarded beside her, a sharp reminder of the visions haunting her. She pressed her trembling hands to her ears, trying to block out the phantom voices in her head. “Please stop… please… stop… stop…” she wh
