A deep fog wrapped around Alina’s mind, heavy and suffocating. Her limbs felt sluggish, her thoughts sluggish. Darkness clung to her like a second skin, the world around her nothing more than a muffled blur.
Then—voices. Distant, sharp, cutting through the haze.
"She should be awake soon."
"Good. Damon won’t wait long before making his move."
The words pulled her further into consciousness, her senses slowly sharpening. A dull ache spread through her body, and when she tried to move, she realized her wrists were bound. A rough rope dug into her skin, and the cold, hard surface beneath her told her she was sitting on a concrete floor.
Panic clawed at her chest.
Alina forced her heavy eyelids open, blinking against the dim, flickering light overhead.
The room was small,
