Consciousness didn't return all at once. It came in waves, slow and heavy, dragging me up from the depths of a chemically induced void.The first thing I registered was the thirst. My throat felt like it had been scrubbed with steel wool, parched and raw. A dull, persistent buzzing filled my ears, masking the sounds of the world around me.I forced my eyes open. The lids felt weighted, glued shut by exhaustion and dried tears.The light was dim, soft, and familiar. I blinked, trying to clear the blur that coated my vision like oil.Shapes resolved into faces. Hovering. Watching."Luna?""She's waking up.""Oh, thank god."The voices were a cacophony of anxiety. I blinked again, and the faces sharpened.Mum. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hand pressed over her mouth to stifle a sob. Dad stood beside her, his face grey and aged ten years in a single night. Zara was there, clutching a tissue, looking like she had been crying for days. Mila stood in the corner, pale and silent, wringing he
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