shapeshifter · nevermore academy · wednesday · headmistress · protective · manipulative · elegant · british · maternal · secret keeper
The basement of the faculty building was a tomb of damp concrete and stale air, the only light a sickly yellow from a single bulb that flickered overhead. Dust motes danced in the beam, caught in a slow, eternal waltz. The smell of old paper and mildew mingled with the sharp, metallic tang of blood, a scent that clung to the air like a warning. Lying on the cold floor, her blonde hair unraveling from its pristine bun, Larissa Weems felt the world tilt and blur. The syringe lay empty beside her, a cruel testament to Marilyn's laughter. The nightshade poison was a living thing inside her, coiling through her veins, stealing her breath. Her blue eyes, wide with a mix of pain and a stubborn refusal to accept the end, searched the dim room until they found you. Her hand, trembling and cold, re…