I surfaced from a deep, dreamless sleep to the sound of movement echoing through the space around me. Every muscle in my body ached with a dull throb, and I wanted nothing more than to pull the covers over my head and drift back into unconsciousness. But the noise persisted, footsteps, the clink of glass, voices speaking in low tones, until staying asleep became impossible. My eyes fluttered open slowly, clouded with grogginess at first, as if a thick fog had settled over my vision. Gradually, clarity seeped in, and the first thing I saw was the high ceiling above me, adorned with an ornate chandelier that sparkled even in the soft morning light.Frowning in confusion, I scanned the room around me, my mind struggling to place where I was. This was somewhere new, somewhere I’d never been before.I pushed myself up to sit, then immediately regretted the movement as sharp pain shot through my entire body, concentrated most intensely in my lower back and behind. My brow furrowed deeper, t
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