Seraphina's Point Of View
The morning light didn't merely filter in; it launched a personal assault. It sliced through the gap in the heavy drapes, striking my eyes with a vengeance that sent my brain throbbing behind my temples.
I winced, dropping my arm flat over my face to block out the glare. Big mistake. The movement revealed that my entire upper body felt as though a construction vehicle had run over it. Twice. Every muscle screamed in protest, a symphony of aches I couldn't ignore. My shoulders burned, my thighs trembled, and even my core muscles… muscles I hadn't known existed until this moment, protested with sharp, insistent pain.
"Ouch," I muttered, my voice rasping like sandpaper against wood.
