When consciousness returned, it did not arrive gently. My body felt stiff and heavy, like stone. My eyelids resisted opening, weighted by exhaustion. I tried again, slower this time. Light hit me immediately, sharp enough to make me wince. Sunlight streamed through the curtains in warm beams, far too cheerful for how my body felt.I groaned and shut my eyes again, breathing slowly until the harsh brightness felt tolerable. When I finally opened them fully, the world sharpened into focus.And I froze.Someone was lying beside me.Not just someone.“Veldrin?” My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. I pushed myself up so fast. The blanket tangled around me. My heart races. “When did you get back?”His back was to me, hair slightly messy, one arm outstretched across the bed as if reaching for something that was no longer there. My sudden movement must have stirred him, because he inhaled sharply and rolled to face me.His eyes opened slowly. When they landed on me, they widened
Last Updated : 2025-11-24 Read more