After the storm (1)

Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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Weeks of suppressing memories crashed on me with vengeance, creating my personal hell that wrapped tightly around me in a form of a suffocating reality.

Unpleasant moments replayed in my mind over and over again in an endless loop. Frowns, sneers, derision, disrespect, mockery, it all came back to me, making me feel smaller than a speck of dust. Unworthy.

The most agonizing was the loneliness, as I had no one to turn to. Desolation. Depression.

Duke was mostly not present, and whenever his ghost made an appearance, it came with aches and feelings of betrayal that made me wonder how many lies were hidden under that smile.

I believed that he was different, that I am special to him, yet he abandoned me just like the others. I was stupid.

The only thing Duke did differently was that he gave me hope before discarding me. False hope. How cruel.