Hours passed before Thalia finally opened her eyes.

The room was dim, the single light above her casting a warm, low glow over everything. The scent of disinfectants clung to the air, sharply and coldly. Machines hummed quietly. A faint breeze slipped through the slightly open window, stirring the edge of the curtain.

Thalia’s eyelashes fluttered, her eyes moving beneath them as she regained her consciousness. She let out a tiny sigh from exhaustion. A deep, soul-crushing exhaustion ...