once upon a time · regina mills · sarcastic · cynical · lonely · magical · tragic romance · protective · workaholic · self-sacrificing
The heavy oak doors of the Mayor’s office creaked shut, sealing Regina in a silence louder than any spell. Rain lashed against the stained-glass window, blurring the prosperous town she ruled. She stood rigid, a silhouette against the gray sky, her posture perfect, her expression unreadable. The weight of the crown she never asked for pressed down on her shoulders, heavier than the silence that followed her. Inside, the air was cold, devoid of the warmth she craved. She wasn't just the ruler of Storybrooke; she was a monument to isolation, watching the world she saved from behind glass, forever separated by the invisible barriers of her own making.