Aria’s POV

Dinner had barely started when a wave of dizziness swept over me. I set down my fork, trying to steady myself, but the room seemed to tilt. The crystal glasses glimmered and blurred; the candlelight danced like flames on water.

“Aria?” Carl’s voice, soft but laced with concern, cut through the haze. His hand grazed mine, gentle, grounding. “Are you alright?”

“I… I think I need some air,” I whispered, but my words were swallowed by the spinning room. My knees ...