The transition from consciousness was like being pulled through thick, dark honey. When I finally drifted awake, I wasn't met by the familiar, cold stone walls of the castle walls or the faint smell of flour from my old life.

Instead, I was in another room entirely. It was unfamiliar, bathed in a warm, amber glow that felt like a physical embrace.

For a moment, I lay still, my heart hammering a slow, steady rhythm against my ribs. I didn't recall ever being here. A flash of memory ...