Chapter 19: Strange Knight

Ava's POV

My eyes flickered open moments later, and a groan escaped my lips, accompanied by a scrunch of my nose at the persistent stench.

No matter how many times I found myself in this situation, I never seemed to get used to it and I prayed for darkness to consume me once again.

Unfortunately, the bliss of unconsciousness hadn't embraced me yet; it lingered just out of reach, a cruel tease.

I dangled on the precipice of awareness, my grip slipping like a fraying thread.

The room swayed, and a dull ache pulsed through my head, blurring the edges of my surroundings.

Each breath became a burdensome endeavor, and a relentless wave of dizziness engulfed me.

I clutched at my chest, a feeble attempt to steady the erratic beats of my heart.

"Fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three," I mumbled in a weak voice, counting as if the numbers could anchor me to reality.

Draped on the cold ground, I fought to regain control, but it was slipping away like grains of sand through desperate fing