Adina’s POV

Darkness pressed against me like a heavy fog, swallowing sound and breath alike. Somewhere in the haze, I could hear my heartbeat faint, uneven like a drum losing its rhythm. My chest burned. My body felt heavy, my limbs numb, and every time I tried to move, pain rippled through me.

It was getting harder to hold on. I tried to open my eyes, but the darkness wouldn’t let me. Every flicker of light disappeared just as quickly as it came, and the weight of exhaustion kept ...