Celeste

Everything was white when I opened my eyes.

The ceiling above me swam in and out of focus, blurry and distant. For a few confused seconds, I thought I was floating in a dream.

But then the pain hit me—a dull, throbbing ache that pulsed through my entire body.

My throat felt like sandpaper. My lips were cracked and dry. I tried to swallow, but it hurt.

I blinked slowly, trying to piece together what had happened. The staircase. The unbearable heat burning through me. The hallway spinning like a carousel. Then... nothing. Just darkness.

I tried to push myself up, but my body refused to cooperate. Every muscle...