The blinding radiance that had erupted from the old woman's body did not fade all at once. Instead, the light slowly receded, like a tide withdrawing from the shore, revealing what had been hidden beneath the illusion all along.
The fragile, bent figure of the elderly innkeeper was gone.
In her place stood a woman whose presence seemed to distort the very atmosphere around her.
Her hair fell freely past her shoulders in long, dark strands touched faintly by a subtle violet tint, the color catching the dim lanternlight in a way that made it seem almost unreal, as though shadows themselves had taken form and wrapped gently around her frame. Each movement caused those strands to sway softly, revealing glimpses of pale skin beneath, skin so smooth and flawless that it appeared almost untouched by the world itself.
Her eyes…
Deep.
Endless.
