The weight on Ivy's shoulder finally eased once she stepped back into her room. She slowly moved towards the mirror, lifting the fabric of her dress to check the damage done along her back.
A dark bruise spread across most of it. Her skin had always bruised easily and the marks tended to linger longer than they should. Although the injuries were not that severe, the discoloration made it look horrifying.
Ivy let out a quiet sigh, lowering her dress before making her way towards her bed. She lay face down on it, her shoulders finally sagging as the tension drained from her body.
Closing her eyes, she let herself slip into a brief, much needed nap.
Ivy never slept deeply. It was more out of habit than choice. Three years of surviving on barely two hours of rest had trained her body t
