EMILIA’S POV
A low groan slipped from my lips as I forced my eyes open. My head throbbed violently, like someone had cracked it open with a hammer. The air was cold and thick, heavy with dust and the faint smell of iron.
My wrists burned.
When I tried to move, I realized I couldn’t.
Ropes. Tight, rough, cutting into my skin. I was tied to a chair—arms bound behind me, ankles strapped to the legs. Panic hit me like a wave. My heart slammed against my ribs as I pulled hard, but the ropes didn’t budge.
“Finally awake?”
The voice froze me. Familiar. Sharp. Venomous.
I lifted my head slowly—and my breath caught.
Standing in front of me were three faces I never thought I’d see together again.
My father. My mother. My sister.
For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming. That maybe my b
