Mariana stared at her reflection in the mirror, the image a grotesque mockery of the woman she once was. The deep gashes, raw and angry, crisscrossed her face, a permanent reminder of the nightmarish ordeal. A wave of nausea washed over her, the metallic tang of blood still lingering on her tongue.
She ran a trembling hand over the scars, the cold touch sending shivers down her spine. The pain was a constant companion, a throbbing ache that mirrored the pain in her heart. How could a heartless stranger do this to her? She had never hurt anyone, never wished ill on anyone. She was just a girl who loved to dance, to laugh, to live.
A torrent of emotions crashed over her, each wave more powerful than the last. Depression settled in her bones, a heavy, suffocating weight that threatened to c
