The Witch and Her Four Dangerous Alphas

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: The Reflection

Serena stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Drops of blood still slid down her cheek, tracing her pale skin. Her face looked strange, like her expression had frozen in place.

She couldn’t tell what she was feeling anymore.

There were too many things inside her chest...fear, anger, confusion...all twisting together until she couldn’t breathe.

She lifted her hand and wiped the blood from her face. The smear left a dark mark across her cheek, almost like a flower drawn in red.

For a long moment, she just stared at that mark as if she wanted to dig into her own reflection, to see what was hidden underneath.

Then, slowly, her lips curved.

It wasn’t a real smile. It looked wrong.

A scoff escaped her lips, breaking the silence. She looked away from the mirror.

Without another word, she reached for her gown.

It had been beautiful that morning, like something made for spring. Now it was soaked in blood, heavy and cold.

She pulled it off and let it fall to the floor. The sound of wet fabric hitting the tiles echoed in the quiet bathroom.

Then she undressed fully, every layer falling away until she stood bare under the dim light. Her skin was streaked with dried blood, her hands trembling slightly, though her face showed no fear.

She stepped into the bathtub. The water rippled around her legs, warm at first, then cooling quickly as the red spread through it.

She sank down, deeper and deeper, until the water reached her shoulders.

Then her neck.

Then her face.

Finally, her head disappeared under the surface.

still. Only silence

time, she didn’t

Then suddenly... a gasp.

her wet hair clinging to her face as she looked up at the ceiling,

lips... half a laugh, half a

never thought you

Her eyes gleamed faintly.

was hollow, before she began

her arms, her chest, and her legs as if she were trying to scrub away more than just blood. It looked like

disappearing into the water. But

the tub. She wrapped a towel around herself, her movements quiet and careful, and went back to the

face that looked back at her wasn’t frozen. There was life in her eyes now, a faint smile on her lips, soft

leaned closer to the mirror, her voice barely above a

"Serena," she said.

her lips curved with a faint smile. For a moment, she almost looked like the same Serena from that morning...innocent, quiet,

came a knock at the room

to break her thoughts. She turned quickly, her

wasting a second, she reached for her clothes. Within moments, she was perfectly dressed again, her hair brushed down smoothly, with no trace of what had happened earlier left on her

she opened the door,

was her father,

stood there, tall and strong as ever, but his expression was uncertain. His eyes were filled with something she had never

inside?" he

only nodded.

in slowly, his gaze scanning her as if he were afraid she would disappear any

voice low and

softly, "It’s alright. I’m

stepped closer, his eyes searching her face. "Are you sure you’re fine?

"Nothing happened. You

closed his eyes for a moment before saying

unreadable. "And what should I not take to heart, Father? The part where I’m an unwanted

but her words were as

His eyes widened slightly as he looked