The first thing I heard when I opened my eyes was a soft, wet sniffle.
"Please be okay," Pearl said. Her voice was shaking and thick with tears. "Amara, please wake up. You can't leave us like this. You just can't."
I blinked against the bright lights of the room. My body felt very heavy and stiff. As my vision cleared, I saw all my friends standing around my bed. Pearl was sitting right next to me, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Des was right behind her, looking exhausted. Kai stood by the window with his arms tightly crossed over his chest. Malachi was sitting on the edge of a chair closest to my head, looking very sad.
"Hey, look! She's blinking!" Des suddenly shouted. He turned around and ran straight toward the door, yelling into the hallway, "Hey! Medical staff! Get in here right now! She's awake!"
Within seconds, two medical mages in white robes hurried into the room.
