The world was soft and hazy when I opened my eyes.

White ceiling. The faint hum of a machine somewhere to my left.

For a long, slow moment, I thought I was dreaming, trapped in one of those endless nightmares where everything blurs together.

Then came the smell. Sterile. Antiseptic.

A hospital.

I blinked, confused. My throat felt dry, my chest heavy. The beeping sound nearby echoed faintly, like a heartbeat that wasn’t mine.

“What the hell…” I whispered, voice hoarse.

The last thing I ...