ZOELLA’S POV
I couldn’t feel my legs anymore.
Every part of me throbbed like someone had hammered my bones from the inside… yet somehow, I still felt strangely light.
Happy. Weirdly, blissfully happy.
Because Merrin…of all people, said I could see Violet anytime from now.
That single thought washed every ache out of my body.
I wanted to run, scream, laugh, but the moment I tried to take one step…
A sharp pain tore through my knee.
“Ah…!” I collapsed instantly, my knees hitting the dusty road with a dull thud.
“Ow. Ow… okay… maybe not running.”
The road stretched empty around me. Silent. Dry. Endless. A lonely strip of sun-bleached dirt that felt designed specifically for suffering.
Great. And how was I supposed to get a cab out here?
Even worse… I had no money. Not a single coi
