Alethea (Zoe)

My body feels heavy like I’m sinking deeper into the bed. But something inside me starts to fight.

I can feel it—this strange warmth spreading through my veins, igniting a fire I didn’t even know was there. My chest tightens, and suddenly, my lungs burn as though they’re desperate for air.

Everything hurts.

I try to cry out, but my voice is trapped somewhere in my throat. My fingers twitch, my body jerking involuntarily.

“She’s reacting,” Someone says, but it sounds far away like she’s speaking through a fog. “Her body is fighting back.”

I’m drowning in pain and heat mixed with something… else. It’s like I can...