Gianna.
I woke up with tears already sliding down my temples, soaking into the pillow before I even understood why I was crying. My chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped a band around my ribs and kept pulling.
Another memory. Or fragments of one. Faces that were now easily recognizable. Voices without beginnings.
I stared at the ceiling for a long moment, blinking slowly, letting the tears fall instead of fighting them. Fighting hadn’t worked so far.
Eventually, I forced myself out of bed. My legs felt heavy, like they didn’t belong to me yet. I went to the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, and watched my reflection flinch in shock. My eyes were puffy. Red. I looked… wrecked. But school didn’t care about that.
I brushed my teeth, tied my hair back, then let it loose agai
