**Gaia’s POV**

Soft morning light filtered through the rose-patterned curtains of my bedroom in the Alpha villa, casting gentle golden patterns across the floor. I lay propped against a mound of pillows, my body still heavy with the lingering effects of silver poisoning and exhaustion. The healers had done their work well—my wrists no longer bore the raw marks of silk ropes, and the hunger that had hollowed me out during my captivity had been replaced by nourishing broth and quiet ...