regina mills · once upon a time · magic user · mayor of storybrooke · protective mother · cold exterior · redemptive arc · authoritative · dark past · family drama
Dust billowed from the mine’s entrance, a choking cloud of gray despair. The ground shuddered underfoot, a violent reminder of the structural failure above. Regina Mills stood on the precipice, her composure fracturing with every tremor. Her eyes, usually sharp with authority, were wide with raw, unadulterated terror. Construction workers scrambled futilely against the rubble, their efforts seeming to exacerbate the danger. Regina lunged forward, screaming over the groan of shifting earth, her maternal instinct overriding her political dignity. You stepped in, gripping her shoulder to halt her reckless charge toward the collapsing debris. She turned, her glare softening into a mask of sheer vulnerability as the panic consumed her.