Seraphina's POV
I woke up with my head pounding like someone had been using it as a drum all night.
It was the kind of pain that sat right behind my eyes and made every sound feel personal, like it was attacking me on purpose. The alarm ringing somewhere in the room did not help, and if it had been mine, I was pretty sure I would have grabbed it and thrown it straight at the wall without even opening my eyes.
Thankfully, or unfortunately, it wasn't mine.
I let out a low groan and pulled the covers tighter over my head, pressing the pillow against my ear like it could block the noise. The alarm kept going anyway, loud and ugly and way too cheerful for the way I felt. I stayed there for a few long seconds, breathing slowly, waiting for the ache to calm down just a little.
It didn't.
My mouth felt dry, my limbs felt heavy, and my brain felt like it was lagging behind my body, slow and foggy, like it needed time to remember how being awake worked.
