ZARA
The floor was cold.
Her cheek stuck to it—damp, tacky with blood or sweat or both. The metallic tang in her mouth wasn't just taste, it was memory. It filled her nose, seeped into her teeth, made her stomach twist.
Something beeped. Far off. Or was it inside her skull? A mechanical pulse that didn't match her heartbeat.
She blinked. Once. Twice. Blurred ceiling. Fluorescent light.
The world felt tilted—like her body had been reassembled wrong. Limbs heavier, slower.
She turned her head. Her hair snagged against the floor. Dried blood matted the strands.
Why couldn't she move?
Where was—
She.
