Maya
My head felt like someone had split it open with an axe. The throbbing pain behind my eyes made everything blur as I slowly opened them, expecting to see the familiar stone walls of the Blackwood castle or maybe the forest where I'd been grabbed.
Instead, I was staring at a ceiling so white it hurt to look at. Everything was white, the walls, the floor, even the thin blanket covering me. The air smelled like disinfectant and something else I couldn't place. Something chemical and wrong.
I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy, like I was moving through thick mud. My arms were weak, shaking as I pushed myself upright on what felt like a narrow bed. That's when I noticed the restraints around my wrists, not chains or ropes, but thick leather straps that looked medical.
"Ah, you're
