Irina’s POV

Blood dripped.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Each drop hit the white marble like a drumbeat.

I stared at my hand. At the cuts. At the glass embedded in my skin.

It didn’t hurt.

Shouldn’t it hurt?

"Miss? Miss!"

Sofia’s voice. Distant. Like she was calling from underwater.

I looked up slowly.

She stood in the bathroom doorway. Eyes wide. Face pale.

Her gaze dropped to my hand. To the blood spreading across the floor.

"Oh god." Her voice cracked. "Oh god, what did you—"

She moved. Fast. Crossed the bathroom in two steps.

Grabbed my wrist. Examined the damage.

I watched her. Detached. Like this was happening to someone else.

"We need the doctor." Sofia’s hands shook. "We need—stay here. Don’t move."

She ran.

I heard her footsteps. Running down the hallway. Calling for help.

I looked back at the shattered mirror. At my fractured reflection.

No Maxim. No Alexei.

Just me.

Always just me.

My knees gave out.

I sank to the floor. Sat in the spreading pool of blood.

It soaked into my dress. Warm. Wet.

I should care. Should do something.

But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think past the static in my head.

The bathroom door banged open.

Footsteps. Multiple people.

"Miss Irina?" A new voice. Female. Older. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded. Barely.

Hands touched my arm. Gentle. Professional.

"I’m Nadia. The palace physician. I’m going to help you."

I looked up.

The woman from before. The one who’d treated me for gastritis.

She knelt beside me. Medical bag already open.

"Let me see your hand."

I extended it. Numb. Obedient.

She examined the cuts carefully. Her expression didn’t change.

"Sofia, I need towels. And warm water."

Sofia appeared. Handed over what was needed.

Nadia pressed a towel against my palm. Applied pressure.

"The bleeding isn’t too severe," she said. More to Sofia than to me. "But there’s glass embedded. I’ll need to remove it."

She looked at me. Eyes kind but assessing.

"This will hurt. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

Nadia opened her bag. Pulled out tweezers. Antiseptic. Bandages.

"Hold still."

She started working. The tweezers probed into the cuts.

I felt it. The sharp sting as metal touched exposed flesh.

But it was distant. Muted.

Like my body had decided pain wasn’t important right now.

The first piece of glass came free. Nadia dropped it into a metal tray.

Clink.

Then another. And another.

Each piece a small sound. Each one evidence of what I’d done.

"Why did you do this?" Nadia asked quietly. Still working. Not looking at my face.

I opened my mouth. Closed it.

How did I explain? That I’d seen ghosts? That my mind was breaking?

I couldn’t.

"I—" My voice came out hoarse. "I didn’t mean to."

"You punched a mirror." She pulled out another shard. "That seems intentional."

"I thought—" I stopped. "I saw something. Someone. But they weren’t real."

Nadia’s hands paused. Just for a second.

Then continued. Methodical. Careful.

"What did you see?"

"Just... just my mind."

Silence filled the bathroom.

Sofia stood by the door. Wringing her hands. Tears on her cheeks.

Nadia kept working. Removing glass. Cleaning wounds.

She looked up. Met my eyes.

"Have you experienced this before?"

I shook my head. "No. Never."

"The mind does strange things when pushed too far." She returned to my hand. "Especially after severe trauma."

More glass pieces clinked into the tray.

Five. Six. Seven.

"Almost done," Nadia murmured.

The door slammed open.

I flinched. Hard.

Nicolas stood in the doorway.

Tall. Massive. Radiating fury.

His eyes found me immediately. Took in the scene.

The shattered mirror. The blood on the floor. My hand in Nadia’s grip.

His expression darkened.

"What the fuck happened here?"

His voice cut through the room like a blade.

Sofia jumped. Pressed herself against the wall.

Nadia didn’t react. Just kept working.

"My lord," she said calmly. "Miss Irina had an accident. I’m treating her injuries."

He stopped a few feet away. Looked down at me.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"Look at me when I’m talking to you," he ordered.

I lifted my gaze. Couldn’t help it. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

His jaw was clenched so hard a muscle jumped in his cheek.

"Explain." One word. Sharp. Demanding.

I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.

Nadia pulled out the last piece of glass. Started cleaning the cuts with antiseptic.

It burned. Actually burned this time.

I gasped. Tried to pull my hand away.

Nadia held firm. "Stay still."

Nicolas crouched down. Put himself at eye level.

"Why did you do this?" His voice dropped lower. More dangerous. "Why did you hurt yourself?"

"Is this because you don’t want to be here?" His tone changed. "Because you hate it so much you’d rather hurt yourself than stay?"

I couldn’t explain the terror. The way their faces had looked so real.

A sound from the hallway interrupted us.

Something falling. Clattering.

We both froze.

Then footsteps. Quick. Light. Running away.

I turned my head. Looked toward the open door.

And saw her.

Just for a second. A glimpse.

A familiar face. Pale. Wide-eyed. Staring at me with shock.

Then she was gone. Disappeared around the corner.

But I’d seen her.

Knew that face.

My entire body went rigid.

No.

It couldn’t be.

"Irina?" Nicolas’s voice. Sharp. "What is it?"

I couldn’t answer.

Couldn’t move.

"Sister...?"