Iris stood amidst the lush serenity of the school’s greenhouse, a sanctuary of rare flowers and herbs tucked away from the world’s chaos. The garden was her refuge, a place where she could escape the confines of how others saw her. Most people knew her only as "the smart girl who’s friends with Freya Harkin," a label that stung more than she cared to admit. It reduced her to a shadow of someone else, as though her identity began and ended with her academic achievements and her friendship. She hated how confining it felt, especially now, when everything about her felt so alien and unmoored after the storm.
With careful precision, Iris watered the plants, letting the rhythm of the task steady her thoughts. There was comfort in tending to the delicate blooms—the blue lotus, bleeding hearts, ghost orchids, and the elusive night-blooming cereus. Each one seemed to respond to her touch, standing a little taller, their colors a little brighter. She cherished this quiet connection, a thread of peace in the tangled chaos of her emotions.
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As she set the watering can aside, something caught her eye. Between the cracks of the stone floor, a single flower stood apart from the rest. Its petals shimmered like spun glass, their translucent edges laced with intricate patterns that seemed to glow faintly, like veins of light. At its center, a radiant core pulsed gently, like a miniature star suspended in its heart.
Iris’s breath hitched. She had never seen anything like it. “Aren’t you a pretty little thing?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. The flower seemed to respond to her, its faint glow intensifying as she stepped closer.
Kneeling before it, Iris felt an inexplicable pull, as though the flower was reaching out to her in some unseen way. The faint hum emanating from its core was barely audible, yet it vibrated through her chest, resonating in her bones. Tilting her head, she leaned in to listen closer, trying to discern the sound.
Suddenly, a brilliant white flash erupted from the flower’s center, blinding her and filling the garden with an ethereal light.