Ara’s POV
The beeping of the machine was the first thing I noticed— steady, insistent, like a countdown.
I squeezed my eyes shut against the harsh white light before forcing them open. Blurry shapes swam into focus.
"She’s waking up," someone murmured.
"Ara!"
A familiar voice. Amara’s.
My throat burned as I tried to speak. Where was I? What happened?
Fragments of memory slammed into me—Kade’s face, Damon’s snarling rage, the suffocating darkness of the underground tunnels. And then… Celestine? Had she been there?
Before I could piece it together, warm arms wrapped around me, squeezing tight.
"Thank the gods, you’re okay. You were out for half a day! You scared us!" Amara choked out, her voice thick with tears.
"Amara…" I rasped, my fingers weakly clutching he
