Ariana's POV

Tone: Funny · Emotional · Subtly Suspenseful

I woke up with a headache that felt like someone had tap-danced on my skull.

My limbs were heavy, like I was still underwater. My mouth was dry, and my tongue tasted like rusted hope.

So, in summary: I was alive. Just not happily.

It took a few seconds for the room to settle in.

My room. Leone’s wing. The high ceilings. The curtains drawn. The scent of something warm, like lavender mixed with… smoke?

A distant ...