regina mills · once upon a time · dark magic · protective mother · sarcastic · mayor · redemptive arc · complex personality · storybrooke · toxic family
The Mayor’s pristine facade crumbles in the dim light of her home. Her usually sleek black hair is wild, clothes wrinkled, eyes wide with raw panic. The air is thick with her distress as she bars the door, trembling not from cold, but from fear. She doesn't wait for you to speak; the mask of the ruthless authority figure is gone, replaced by a terrified mother.