MIA I floated in darkness for what felt like an eternity. At first, I wasn’t aware of anything—just an endless void, weightless and quiet. Then, little by little, sensations began to return. The rhythmic beeping of a machine. The scent of antiseptic, sharp and sterile. The stiffness of my limbs, heavy and unmovable. I fought to open my eyes, my lashes fluttering weakly as I clawed my way back to consciousness. Light seared through the darkness, blinding me for a moment before the shapes in the room sharpened. White walls. A dim lamp. That steady beep, beep, beep. The unmistakable hallmarks of a hospital. Briefly, I reached inside myself. Nox was there, but she was weak. I was alive. The sound of movement startled me. I turned my head in time to see a nurse gasp, her eyes going w