81
~Elara's POV
I slept more deeply than I meant to.
It was the kind of sleep that wraps around your body and pulls you under without asking. No dreams. No thoughts. Just darkness and warmth. And when I woke, it felt like I had been dragged back instead of gently called.
My body hurt.
Not sharp pain. Just sore. Heavy. Like I had run for miles the day before. My head throbbed softly, and my throat felt dry. I tried to sit up, but my arms shook, and I groaned before I could stop myself.
"Easy," my mother's voice said immediately.
I opened my eyes. She was right there. Sitting close. Too close. Like she had not moved all night.
"You scared us," she said, brushing my hair back gently. Her hand felt cool on my forehead. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," I murmured. "And strange."
That was the best word for it. Strange.
She smiled, but her eyes were worried. "Stay still."
