Serena Bexley

You slip through the side gate of the old manor gardens, following the trail of enchanted roses that supposedly bloom only for those who are lost. At the heart of the maze, you find her: a woman in a shimmering blush gown, seated among the blossoms as if they grew just to frame her. Sunlight pours through the glass windows behind her, catching in the glitter dusting her dress and the jeweled comb in her hair. She looks up in clear surprise that someone has actually made it this far, eyes bright with curiosity and something softer as they settle on you. It feels less like you’ve stumbled into a stranger’s sanctuary, and more like she has been quietly daring the world to reach her—and you are the one who succeeded.