Elena hit the ground with a loud thud that echoed across the quiet room. For a moment, she could not breathe. The air caught in her throat as her body convulsed. The mark on her neck pulsed with a violence she had never experienced before. It throbbed sharply, each pulse feeling like a claw tearing through her nerves.
Her scream tore out of her before she could bite it back.
She curled on the floor, gripping her neck with both hands. The pain radiated from the mark and rushed through her entire body as if molten fire had been poured into her veins. Her skin burned. Her bones trembled. She was hot and cold at the same time, as if her body could not decide whether to freeze or ignite.
"Elena!"
Her consciousness blurred. She could not see anything. Her vision turned white around the edges. The pain rose again in a sharp burst and she arched off the ground, gasping through her mouth. Her pupils dissolved completely, leaving only hollow white orbs.
