The hot water cascaded over me, but it couldn't wash away the feeling of revulsion. These clothes, I thought, the fabric clinging to my skin. The same clothes as the weak, pathetic humans. Why did I even bother?
The thought of them, the humans, seeing me, their faces devoid of fear, was a bitter pill to swallow. How could they not tremble? How could they not understand the power that pulsed beneath my skin?
As the water streamed down, I felt a shift. A change, a surge of energy. The mirror reflected a stranger.
My eyes. They were no longer the familiar shade of deep brown. The blackness spread, consuming the whites until only the inky darkness remained. And within that darkness, two crimson suns ignited. A pure, bloody red, burning with an ancient fire.
My hair, once neatly styled, began to change. It grew, lengthening, the color shifting from its usual dark hue to a pure, untarnished silver.
A human, I thought, the memory a jolt. A foolish, insignificant human, colliding with me, daring to utter the word "sorry." I wanted to unleash my power, to crush them all. To hear their screams, to feel their fear. But something held me back.
Why?
I felt a familiar ache, a twisting in my chest. A pain I couldn't comprehend. The desire to be "good," to be something I was not, was a torment.
My teeth felt different. Sharper, larger, a primal instinct rising within me. Why was I trying to be something I was not? It hurt too much.
I turned off the water, the transformation ceasing as abruptly as it had begun. The silver hair stopped growing, cascading down my back.
I emerged from the bathroom, clad in something new, something that reflected the storm raging within me. A garment of deep, crimson silk, stained with a color that was both elegant and terrifying.
The girl stood by the door, waiting. She was beautiful, yes. But it was not the same. The same spark that had drawn me to... Aria. The same feeling of something special.
I couldn't speak. The disgust rose in my throat, choking me. I turned away, my gaze fixed on my destination.
My bedroom. A sanctuary of darkness.
The room was vast, adorned with intricate carvings and opulent furnishings. But the colors... they were a reflection of my soul. Pure black and the crimson of blood. It was a space that mirrored the chaos within.