Then, the side effects hit me like a physical blow to the gut.
A wave of nausea slammed into my stomach, followed by a dizzy spell so intense the room tilted forty-five degrees to the left. My vision blurred into a kaleidoscope of grey and black. Valeria's warning about severe anemia wasn't a suggestion; I felt as if my blood had suddenly turned to water. I staggered, my small thirteen-year-old hands grasping at the telescope's cold metal frame for support, just as the heavy oak doors of the observatory were flung open with a deafening bang.
"KAIRI!"
Azalea and Helena burst into the room, their faces masks of panic and exertion. They were gasping for air, their clothes disheveled as if they had been running through the castle for hours. I blinked, trying to force the black spots from my eyes as I fought to keep my balance.
"Hah? You guys... just woke up?" I managed to say, my voice sounding thin and weak even to my own ears.
