JASMINE'S POV
I woke up slowly, as if I was coming back from a deep dream that I couldn't quite remember. All I could feel was a strange and powerful sensation still wrapped around me.
Everything felt... sharper.
The light coming through the curtains was more than just bright; it felt alive. It cast golden patterns on the walls that sparkled whenever I blinked. The sheets against my skin were incredibly soft, like sleeping on clouds.
I could hear a clock ticking softly in the hallway, but even closer, I heard a heartbeat—steady and strong, a sound I recognised.
My body ached, but it wasn't the deep, dragging pain I remembered from before.
This was something different… like my muscles had been stretched beyond their limits and were now knitting themselves back together into something... new.
I exhaled, then blinked a few times, letting the blurry ceiling overhead resolve into sharp lines.
And then I turned my head.
