[Lily's POV]
Lily didn't know when she drifted off again, or even how long she'd been asleep, but she knew one thing for certain—her body had taken the first real, unbroken rest in what felt like years. Maybe it was the warm, quiet room, or the thick blanket cocooned around her, or simply the absence of the constant dread that had clung to her like a second skin. Whatever the reason, her sleep had been deep enough to feel like a different world entirely.
Warm light flickered against her eyelids, gentle enough that waking didn't hurt. The air smelled faintly of chamomile and old wood—as if the room itself had a memory, something old and comforting. She inhaled shakily, the warmth of the scent grounding her as she blinked her eyes open.
