CAMELLIA'S POV
I woke to the sharp scent of disinfectant and crushed herbs, the kind that always clung to my mother's clothes after a long day at the infirmary.
For a moment, I didn't know where I was. I only knew that everything hurt—my face, my ribs, even the act of breathing. Then I heard her voice, soft and trembling, the most comforting sound in the world.
"My Cammi..." Her voice trembled. "Thank the Goddess... you're awake."
I tried to open my eyes, but even the smallest movement felt like forcing stone apart. Pain flared across my face—a deep, throbbing ache that made my stomach churn.
And then the memories surged back all at once—the forest, the three masked men, their fists slamming into my jaw, boots driving into my stomach again and again. The panic. The helplessness.
I
