The world felt distant. Cold. As if the very fabric of reality had slipped from her grasp. Arabela’s eyes fluttered open, but everything was a blur—shadows, movement, voices whispering from the edges of her consciousness. Pain radiated through her chest, each beat of her heart a reminder of her choices, of the price she had paid."Arabela," a voice called, sharp and frantic. It was Christine. "Stay with me, please!"Arabela struggled to lift her head, her body heavy, like it didn’t belong to her anymore. Her hand instinctively reached for the wound on her chest, but there was nothing—no blood, no gaping hole. Just the memory of it. The sensation of betrayal."What happened?" she croaked, her throat dry, her words barely audible.Christine's face appeared above her, pale and frantic, her eyes wide with worry. "You were attacked, Arabela. That man... he’s from the Alliance. He’s a part of something much darker than we thought."Arabela tried to sit up, but her body wouldn’t obey. The ro
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