SERAPHINA’S POV
Agony had a sound.
A blinding, deafening crack that split the world open and swallowed everything.
When the light finally receded, when the pain tapered from an all-consuming inferno to a dull, distant tremor, I resurfaced into my body like something dragged up from the depths of a frozen lake.
My eyes snapped open. A ragged gasp tore from my throat as I lurched upright—
Only to immediately collapse back against something soft.
My vision spun as I blinked furiously. Sweat slicked every inch of my skin, plastering my damp clothes and hair to my body and forehead.
My limbs were heavy as stone, rattling with aftershock. My heartbeat thundered, as if it were still chasing the remnants of terror.
I didn’t stop blinking until the room settled into focus.
Not the Starlight Hallway.
Not the star-forged realm that had torn me apart and stitched me back together in ways I couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
