Chapter 152: Iron on My Bones

Elira

I woke instantly to silence and crushing cold. It wasn't the kind of cold that simply crept in from the winter air, but the kind that lived permanently under my skin—quiet, sharp, and endless.

For a single heartbeat, I didn't know exactly where I was. The walls of the room looked familiar, but something fundamental felt wrong. The room was too still. Too clean. Too unnaturally quiet.

I pushed myself up quickly, but something immediately yanked me hard ...