Hazel's Point of View
The first thing I feel as I blink awake is energy, light, warm, almost electric. It pulses through me like sunlight, wrapping around my ribs and tugging the corners of my lips into a smile before I’ve even opened my eyes fully. I stretch in bed, the cotton sheets rustling softly beneath me, and for once there’s no heavy ache in my chest, no distant echo of Aiden’s voice, no lingering dream to claw my heart open.
I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and rise with purpose. The hardwood floor is cool beneath my feet as I walk to the bathroom, turning on the shower tap and waiting for the water to run hot. Steam begins to curl through the air, fogging the edges of the mirror. I lean over the sink and catch a glimpse of myself.
I pause.
There’s something… different
