CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: Both Worlds

I slowly drift back to consciousness, my mind swimming through a haze of pain. It feels as though every inch of my body is on fire, agony that throbs in time with my heartbeat. I groan softly, trying to piece together what has happened, but the memories are distant and fragmented, like shards of glass scattered across my mind.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hits me - Zachary is in danger!

The realization jolts me awake, and I struggle to push myself up, my muscles protesting with every movement. But my determination outweighs the pain, and I grit my teeth, forcing myself to sit upright.

A sharp cry escapes my lips as I collapse back, the pain too intense to bear. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the throbbing to subside, but it persists, a relentless vibration through my body.

Slowly, my surroundings come into focus. The first thing I notice is the crack on my eyeglasses, then...

“Oh shi.t!” I hiss.

I’m not in Bonded’s world anymore! I’m back in my own world, in my own bedroom