Natalie~
The second Kalmia ripped herself out of me, the world shifted. No—fractured.
It was like something ancient and sacred inside me cracked open and collapsed. My soul convulsed, as if a storm had passed through and left scorched ruins behind. I could still feel her—her claws dragging through my mind like barbed wire, her poison laced on my tongue, her lies embedded in my chest like broken glass.
I didn't just wake up.
I exploded awake.
A scream tore through my throat before I even realized I was conscious. My body shot upright so fast I nearly toppled off the edge of a bed I had no memory of lying on. Air surged into my lungs like I'd been drowning. My hands clutched the sheets as though holding tight enough could keep me from unraveling.
But I couldn't stay still. I couldn't breathe.
I had to move.
I had to find her.
I had to end this.
