A soft groan escaped Kira's lips, her eyelids fluttering open to a blurry world. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes, and a profound sense of disorientation washed over her. Where was she? And who was she? The question echoed in the silent void of her memory, offering no answers. She was lying in someone's arms, a strong, comforting embrace, but the face that came into focus as her vision cleared was utterly unfamiliar, yet strangely… safe. Beside her, the man stirred, his own eyes opening with a similar confusion. He blinked, his gaze meeting hers, and in that shared moment of disorientation, a flicker of something… recognition? Connection?… passed between them, a silent acknowledgment of a bond they couldn't name or understand. "Where…?" Kira's voice was a raspy whisper, unfamiliar to

