--
And then—
When she finally stirred, her eyes blinked open into complete darkness.
For a split second, panic fluttered in her chest.
It wasn't just dim—it was pitch black. No torchlight, no faint flicker of moonlight bleeding through the seams of the tent. Nothing.
She lifted her head slightly.
Her breath caught.
She tried to look around—but her vision grasped at shadows and found nothing. Like she was blind again.
And then…
Just like always.
She blinked twice.
And suddenly, her world sharpened. The darkness peeled back—not into light, but into clarity. As if her eyes had adjusted unnaturally fast. Like someone had turned on invisible water taps, rinsing her vision crystal-clear.
Shapes formed.
She could see the outline of the clay pot in the corner, the slope of the dried cloths hanging from the beam, the small basket of berries now slightly shriveled beside her pillow.
Water glistened faintly in a bowl. Her own reflection blinked back at her—dim but there.
Strange.
