LYRA VALORIC

The pain settled into my bones long after they left.

I stayed curled on the cold floor for a long time, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as if that alone could keep me from breaking apart completely. My head throbbed where it had struck the wall, a dull ache that pulsed with every heartbeat. The bandage was tight, too tight, but I did not loosen it. Pain felt deserved.

I deserved worse.

Eventually, I forced myself to stand. My legs trembled beneath my weight, weak and ...