CRIMSON LILY [COMPLETED]

The biting chill of the evening air seeped into Elisse's bones, mirroring the icy dread that had taken root in her heart.

“You will never become a part of this family!” Her brother Caspian’s thunderous voice still echoed in her ears, a brutal reaffirmation of her unwanted existence.

She stumbled backward, her vision blurring, the familiar lake in the garden shimmering mockingly before her. She had always sought solace here, a quiet reflection of her mother’s memory.

Now, it beckoned as an escape. The self-loathing, the years of neglect, the cruel words—it all culminated in a desperate, final decision. Without conscious thought, her feet carried her to the water's edge, and a cold splash swallowed her as she plunged into the depths. The icy embrace was a welcome relief, a promise of oblivion. Yet, as darkness claimed her, flashes of not one, but two lives, flickered before her eyes.