[Elian’s POV]I lay perfectly still on the massive feather mattress.I took a slow, deep breath. I let the cool Northern air fill my lungs completely. The agonizing, crushing weight on my chest was gone. The fatal magic that had kept me suffocating for days had finally lifted, leaving me exhausted but breathing normally. The deep, dull ache remained buried in my ribs, but the immediate threat of death had passed.For the first time in weeks, I felt a moment of true peace."You are staring a hole right through that wooden ceiling, child," a warm, familiar voice said.I turned my head against the soft pillows. Martha sat in a wooden chair pulled directly up to the edge of my bed. The old kitchen cook held a steaming clay mug of chicken broth in her wrinkled hands. She looked completely exhausted. Deep, dark circles hung under her eyes, and her gray hair was messy, but a gentle, relieved smile touched her lips.I tried to return the smile. The muscles in my face felt incredibly weak."I
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