Chapter One: The Falling Bouquet

The music swallowed her warning. Mira ran into the crowd, knocking aside two bridesmaids filming with their phones. The bouquet left Serena’s hands in a white arc just as the first strand of crystals broke free. Mira shoved the bride aside. A shard grazed her shoulder, and she lost her balance. The white roses dropped neatly into her arms. The world went silent. The music, screams, and shattering glass vanished. In their place came the smell of damp concrete and disinfectant. An iron door appeared before her. Beyond it, Serena wore a faded nightgown and a chain around her ankle. She was thinner than she was today, clutching a baby hoarse from crying. Boards covered the basement’s only window. Theo stood on the stairs, calmly pulling on gloves.