Orion’s POV:
— Three years ago —
Pain. That was the first thing I registered—an aching, dull weight pressing against every inch of my body. It felt like my bones had been ground to dust, my muscles wrung out like wet cloth.
My limbs wouldn’t move the way I wanted them to, like they weren’t mine anymore. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose, and I realized the sheets beneath my fingers weren’t my own.
A hospital.
Then came the restlessness, a sharp-edged panic slicing through the fog of painkillers and exhaustion. Something was wrong. Something was missing.
Evangeline.
Where was she? What had happened? My pulse spiked as I forced my eyes open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights above me. The room was a blur of white walls and medical equipment. A steady beeping
