|| Penelope ||
My consciousness returned in fragments, like shards of glass piecing themselves back together. My body felt heavy, my limbs leaden, as if I had been submerged in a deep, dark ocean and was now slowly floating to the surface. The first thing I noticed was the warmth — a comforting, steady heat that seemed to radiate from the very air around me. Then came the scent. Pinewoods. It was faint but unmistakable, wrapping around me like a protective blanket.
My eyes fluttered open, and the world came into focus. I was lying in a soft bed, the sheets smooth against my skin. The room was modest but warm, with sunlight streaming through a small window. My head throbbed, and my body ached, but the pain was distant, as if my mind hadn’t fully reconnected with my physical form yet.
Whe
