Consciousness returned in fragments, each shard of awareness cutting deeper than the last. The infirmary ceiling swam into focus like a polaroid developing underwater - familiar shapes distorting into something almost, but not quite, recognizable. Daisy's mind felt raw, exposed, as if someone had peeled back layers of protection and left the sensitive parts bare to the air.
The Moon's Tear lay cool against her throat, deceptively innocent. Like a weapon powered down to safety mode, but still humming with lethal potential. Through enhanced senses that refused to fully quiet, she could see the crystal's energy signature pulsing weakly - exhausted, perhaps, but not defeated. Never defeated.
"I know you're awake," Magda's voice carried the weight of too many sleepless nights and too much res
