Aurelia opened her eyes slowly—and inhaled shakily, as though the very act of breathing had suddenly become unfamiliar to her.
The air felt heavier and colder. Gwen, standing before her, gasped softly, one hand flying to her mouth as the full weight of that thought settled between them.
"No…" Aurelia murmured suddenly, shaking her head, her voice fragile but insistent. "No… something is wrong… something about this does not feel right. This… this still does not feel complete."
Her fingers curled faintly at her sides, as though grasping for something she could not see.
Gwen frowned, stepping closer.
"What doesn't feel complete?" she asked gently.
Aurelia's gaze drifted—unfocused, distant—as though she were looking not at the room, but through it… searching for something buried beyond reach.
"Since no one saw me throughout that year…" she began slowly, each word measured, uncertain, "I do not think I was in a coma."
Gwen stiffened immediately.
