Luca’s POV

Pain was the first thing that dragged me back to life. Deep, heavy, like something had been stitched into my bones and forgotten there. It pulsed slowly, in time with my heartbeat, spreading outward from my abdomen until my entire body felt weighed down, anchored to the bed.

I tried to breathe.

The air scraped my lungs on the way in, shallow and careful. My body felt like it was one wrong move from breaking down again, tearing open. A low groan slipped from my throat before I ...