ELI'S POVWaking up felt like clawing my way out of deep water.Every breath dragged, heavy and uncertain, like my lungs were still deciding whether they trusted the air. My body didn’t feel like mine… it felt hollowed out, scraped clean and left too fragile to hold anything steady. For a long moment, I just lay there, eyes still closed, listening to the slow rhythm of my own breathing.Alive.The thought came quietly.Barely believable.My fingers twitched against the sheets. The sensation was dull, delayed, but it was there. Real. I forced my eyes open, and light immediately stabbed through my vision, making me flinch. The ceiling came into view, blurred at first, then slowly sharpening.My room.I made it back.“…sir?” The voice pulled me out of the haze. Familiar. Soft.I turned my head slightly, the motion heavier than it should have been. “Ana…?” My voice came out rough, barely audible, like it had forgotten how to exist.Relief flooded her face instantly. “You’re awake,” she sa
Read more