Liora felt a weight— the kind that crushes her chest and makes breathing difficult. She struggled to take deep breaths as her eyelids fluttered, fighting the stubborn fog in her head. When they finally lifted, the glow of the lantern blurred her vision.

“Father?" She called out slowly. Her throat was dry, her body trembled as though she had run for days. She tried to rise, but a gentle palm pressed against her shoulder.

“Slowly, child," came the soothing voice of the matron, the ...