CHAPTER 18

ARIANA

My eyes fluttered open slowly, the world around me swimming into focus with disorienting slowness. Everything was blurry at first—a haze of light and shadow that made no sense. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog from my vision. As the room finally came into view, my heart sank.

The space was unfamiliar, clean, and expensive-looking—like a hospital room, but not quite. The walls were a soft cream colour, adorned with minimalist artwork, and the furniture was modern and sleek. A faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air, making my nose wrinkle in discomfort. The muted beeping of machines filled the quiet room, each sound a jarring reminder of where I was.

A sense of dread began to claw its way up from the pit of my stomach, making my heart beat erratically. The events leading up to this moment began to flood back, one after another, like a terrible montage playing in my mind. The pain, the blood… the realisation hit me with brutal force.

I slowly moved my shaking