Evelyn opened her eyes slowly, as the light streaming in from the window pierced through her eyes. She felt heavy inside her body, weighed down by fragments of memories she could never quite shake—Gloria’s voice whispering promises, raw power coursing through her veins, the devastation she had wreaked, Zone’s death. The amalgamation of it all was on track to crush her before she even sat up.

“Evelyn,” said a soft voice beside her. She turned her head slowly, managing to clear her vision in time to see her mother, Serena, sitting nearby, her face a mix of concern and relief.

“You are awake,” Serena murmured as she shifted toward her...