Chapter 30 : Stronger Together
Ruby’s POV
Consciousness didn’t return all at once—it came in waves, like a tide creeping back after a long, violent storm. First, sound: the soft creak of floorboards, the distant murmur of voices, the hush of the wind rattling the windowpane. Then, scent: the sharp bite of herbs and clean linen mixed with faint traces of woodsmoke. And finally, pain. A dull, all-over ache that flared with each breath, a living map of bruises and healing cuts across my skin.
But beneath the soreness, something else pulsed—subtle but undeniable. A quiet strength thrummed in my veins, steady and warm, like embers glowing beneath ash. I felt… different. Whole. Stronger, somehow.
Before I could try to make sense of the sensation, a voice cut through the fog—low, familiar, an
