The sun rose slowly that morning, but the light felt weak.
I woke up with pain all over my body. My arms hurt. My back hurt. Even my heart felt heavy.
The small room was cold and smelled like old wood and smoke.
I looked around. The blanket on the floor was torn. My clothes were still wet from last night.
I tried to sit up. My head spun a little.
For a moment, I wished I could just disappear.
I had dreamed again. The same dream — the forest, the red eyes, the sound of breathing behind me.
But when I opened my eyes, it wasn’t a dream anymore.
I still felt like someone was watching me.
---
Mira was already awake. She was by the fire, making porridge.
When she saw me, she frowned.
“Lazy girl,” she said. “Still sleeping? The sun is up.”
I stood up quickly. “I’m sorry,” I whispered
