Twisted Petals // MIKHAIAH AU

The Unraveling

The quiet hum of early morning filled the room, the first rays of sunlight gently spilling through the curtains. Melissa lay beside Alessia, their bodies tangled in the sheets, their breaths still in sync from the night before. Alessia's fingers traced idle patterns along Melissa's bare back, a soft, contented smile on her lips as the moments of calm settled between them. For the first time in weeks, Melissa felt a brief sense of peace—like, for just a little while, the chaos of her mind had stilled.

Alessia leaned in, her lips brushing against Melissa's ear, her voice a soft whisper. "You did so well yesterday. Every kill... you make it look effortless."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Melissa's mouth, though something dark lingered beneath it. "For you, I'd do anything." She shifted to face Alessia, their eyes locking, and for a brief second, the world outside their bed seemed far away, insignificant.

But it never stayed that way for long. The weight of what was to come always lingered at the edges of Melissa's consciousness. She felt it creeping back, that gnawing anxiety that came with knowing Brian was still out there, waiting to make his move.

Alessia sensed it too. Her hands cupped Melissa's face, tilting her chin slightly until their foreheads pressed together. "Hey," she murmured. "Whatever's coming, we'll face it together. Just like we always do."

"I know." Melissa's voice was a whisper, barely audible, as if saying the words aloud might shatter the fragile calm between them. "But... what if I'm not ready?"

Alessia's lips curved into a sly smile, her eyes glinting with a familiar mischief. "You're ready, babe. You've been ready for weeks. Don't let the paranoia get to you."

Melissa closed her eyes, letting the warmth of Alessia's presence ground her. She wanted to believe her—she needed to believe her. But the nagging doubt inside wouldn't let go. She had trained, killed, perfected her methods... but Brian was still an enigma, lurking in the shadows, watching her every move.

A soft kiss on her lips broke the silence, and when Melissa opened her eyes again, Alessia's face hovered inches from hers, a playful grin lighting up her features. "You're thinking too much again," Alessia teased, her hand sliding up Melissa's thigh beneath the sheets. "You need to relax more."

The spark between them ignited once again, pushing the darker thoughts away. Melissa let herself fall into the moment, her body responding to Alessia's touch as their lips met in a slow, heated kiss. For now, at least, the world outside could wait.

---

Later that day, as Melissa prepared for what was supposed to be another routine kill, something felt... off. The streets of Rosewood were quieter than usual, an odd tension hanging in the air that Melissa couldn't quite place. She shrugged it off at first, attributing it to nerves, but the feeling only grew stronger as the day wore on.

It wasn't until she checked the news that everything clicked.A headline splashed across the screen: "Mysterious Murders Rock Rosewood—No Signs of 'Rotten Rose' Calling Card."

Melissa's blood ran cold. The victims, three of them, had all been killed in the same manner she would have done it—quick, efficient, without leaving much evidence behind. But none of those deaths were hers. She hadn't touched them. And yet, the bodies were piling up.Someone was copying her.