Lyra’s POV
When the clock hit midnight on what I didn’t even realize was my sixteenth birthday, I opened my eyes and found myself standing alone in the forest.
I had no idea how I’d gotten there. The last thing I could recall was Lenore attacking me at Elias’s house. I could faintly remember being in a hospital, but nothing beyond that. My hands instinctively went to my stomach, and I looked down—it wasn’t as bony as it had been. It was still relatively flat, but at least my ribs didn’t stick out like they used to. Somehow, I’d put on a bit of weight. How was that even possible? How long had I been lying in that hospital bed? And the dress I was wearing—it was white, flowing, absolutely beautiful, and the way it moved with the breeze made me feel like I was floating. I looked around and
