For a moment, everything was dark.
Then sound came first.
The low growl of an engine. The rattle of loose metal. Her own breathing.
Lila's eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. The world felt slow, like it was still catching up to her. She pushed herself upright in the driver's seat of the rusted car, hands braced against the steering wheel.
The feeling hit her fully then.
Light.
Warm.
Clear.
It spread through her chest and up into her head, smoothing out the noise that was usually there. The constant ache. The hunger. The doubt.
She hadn't felt this steady in days.
She looked into the rearview mirror.
Her reflection stared back at her, sharper than usual. Focused. Alive.
She lifted her fingers and traced the skin beneath her eye. The faint amber glow in the corner was still there.
Amber was in her veins again.
Of course it was.
