Chapter 72

I felt my body collapse as if every ounce of energy had been sapped from me. Darkness enveloped my senses, swallowing me whole into its abyss.

Then, like a distant echo, consciousness crept back in, sluggish and disoriented.

As I gradually awoke, my surroundings slowly came into focus. My eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the curtains, and the familiar sight of Steven's room greeted me.

Panic surged through me as I tried to piece together what had happened.

"What... what happened?" My voice was barely a whisper, hoarse from disuse or perhaps from the ordeal I'd just endured.

My gaze swept across the room, taking in the familiar furniture, the posters adorning the walls, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting long shadows. It all seemed so ordinary, yet my mind raced with uncertainty.

"You're awake," Sylvia appeared in front of me. She was holding a cup of tea. Holding the cupboard, she put beside me, on the bed table.

"How are you, my daughter?"

I massaged my foreh