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Darkness consumed me. It was heavy, suffocating, like being submerged in deep water. Slowly, faint sensations began to creep in, dragging me back to the surface. At first, there was just a dull throbbing—a steady, rhythmic pulse that radiated from my skull and spread through my entire body. It felt as though every bone, every muscle, had been crushed and left to ache in protest.
My consciousness returned in fragments. I became aware that I was sitting on a soft surface. The metallic tang of blood coated my tongue, thick and bitter, making it hard to swallow. My nose burned fiercely, each shallow breath stabbing at my sinuses like knives.
A groan escaped me before I could stop it, a low, pitiful sound that betrayed just how broken I felt. My ribs protested even that small movement, a sharp pain flaring across my torso. I couldn't tell if they were bruised or fractured, but it didn't matter. Every inhale felt like dragging shards of glass through my lungs.
I blinked, once, twice, trying to clear the haze from my vision. It was a slow process, my eyelids heavy and reluctant to obey. The world around me was dim, the light overhead casting everything in a murky glow. Shapes began to take form—shadows shifting, the faint outline of furniture, and the glint of polished surfaces in the corner of my eye.
My head pounded relentlessly, the steady drumbeat of pain making it hard to think clearly. I flexed my fingers, testing my body's response. My arms felt like lead, stiff and bruised, the skin raw where they'd been gripped too tightly. My legs weren't much better, a heavy ache settling deep in the muscles, as if they'd been overworked and abandoned.
A sickly warmth spread from somewhere above my temple, a steady trickle that slid down the side of my face. Blood. It clung to my skin, sticky and hot, mingling with the sweat that dampened my hairline. The taste of it lingered in the back of my throat, making me nauseous.
Despite the screaming protest of my body, I forced myself to shift slightly. The motion sent a wave of dizziness crashing over me, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep from vomiting. Every inch of me hurt—sharp pains from bruises, dull aches from deep injuries, and the stinging of open cuts scattered across my skin. Vulnerable didn't even begin to describe it.
My eyes fluttered open, each blink a struggle against the heaviness weighing them down. Slowly, my vision adjusted, and to my surprise, Eve came into focus. She was crouched down in front of me, her head tilted slightly as she studied me like a predator watching wounded prey.
I shifted, realizing I was propped up in a booth, my body slumped against the corner. Every nerve screamed in protest at the smallest movement.
"I told you to join me," she said, her voice cutting through the fog in my head. The words were muddled, echoing faintly in my ears, but I managed to catch them. They carried no malice—just disappointment, like a teacher scolding a student who refused to learn.
"Take her around back," Eve's voice broke through the haze, sharp and commanding. Her words registered just enough for me to understand.
Rough hands gripped me, yanking me out of the booth without hesitation. My body was a dead weight, too battered and weak to support itself. Their arms hooked undermine, practically carrying me as my legs dragged uselessly across the floor.
