Aria’s POV....

Darkness wasn’t empty.

It was warm.

It felt like floating in deep water—heavy, quiet, endless. My body no longer screamed. The pain was distant now, like it belonged to someone else. I couldn’t feel my legs. I couldn’t feel my hands.

But I could feel life.

A small, glowing pulse beneath my ribs.

My baby.

Selene curled around it protectively, her presence faint but steady.

You’re still here, she whispered, awe and grief tangled together.

“I won’t ...