ARIA
Karin’s hands closed more firmly around my wrist, warm and steady. “Breathe,” she said again, slower this time. “You can leave this memory whenever you want. But if you rush, it can twist itself inside your thoughts. That’s when memories get stuck. Choose something solid. Something with details you can hold on to. Choose something that makes you feel calm.”
A thin whisper slipped out of me. “I don’t think I have anything like that.”
The words were barely spoken when the space around us began to soften and shift. I didn’t guide it. I didn’t choose it. The memory formed on its own, and by the time I realized where we were, it was already complete.
“Oh,” Karin said quietly, amused in a gentle way. “This works just fine. We don’t need to watch it again.”
My gaze dropped to the bed w
