She lay there, paralyzed by a mixture of physical pain and mental exhaustion, watching the golden sunlight slowly withdraw from the high windows. The shadows in the room lengthened, creeping across the polished floorboards until evening fully descended, wrapping the chamber in a cold, dim twilight.
When she finally opened her eyes, the silence of the room was deafening. For a split second, she held her breath, her heart leaping with a desperate, foolish hope that she would hear the familiar, chaotic chime of silver bells. But the room remained deathly, agonizingly quiet.
