ANNA'S POV

I walked quietly down the long hallway, the floor reflecting the dim morning light that seeped in through the windows. My black gown, long and elegant, pooled behind me as it brushed the ground with every step. I could hear the faint rustle of the fabric with each movement, a soft reminder of where I was headed and what the day would bring.

My gaze stayed mostly lowered, my eyes tracing the patterns in the tiles as though they could somehow distract me from everything I had weighing on my thoughts. But it didn’t work. Nothing did today. Not the gown, not the silence, not even the deep...