Chapter 62

ARIA'S POV

When I woke up, the world felt oddly muted. I blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

White walls, beeping machines, the sharp smell of antiseptic… I then realized that I was in a hospital, and suddenly all the memories came rushing back - the attack, the chaos, the fear.

I sat up too quickly, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my body. I actually just had a few cuts and bruises. Nothing too serious.

My head spun for a moment, but it wasn’t the dizziness or the faint ache in my muscles that mattered. It was the thoughts of Dante – the memory of his blood-soaked body, his weak breathing, flooded back to me.

I hurriedly scrambled out of bed, ignoring the protests of my aching muscles.

Where was he? Was he alright? The last thing I remembered was… Ryan standing in front of me.

I stumbled into the hallway, my bare feet cold against the floor. I didn’t care about myself — I just needed to find him.

A nurse was walking by just outside my door, her arms full of medical