ARIA’S POV

My body felt heavy, like someone had poured sand into my bones. I could feel my back pressed into soft foam, and when I forced my eyes open, a sharp pain shot through my head. The light above me was too bright, almost blinding. I blinked until everything stopped spinning.

When I finally managed to open them, I turned my head slowly. The sharp smell of antiseptic rushed into my nose. I was in the clinic. The bed, the white sheets, the quiet hum of machines… everything dragged a ...