Natalie’s POV

I tried to open my eyes, but they felt heavy, as if something was keeping them shut. My head hurt in a slow, steady way that matched my heartbeat. When the light finally reached my eyes, it stung so sharply that I winced.

My throat was dry.

And the air I breathed in tasted like medicine with a faint smell of rain.

For a while, I stayed completely still, caught between the pain and the slow realization that I was alive.

As my vision settled, things became clearer. I saw a ...