Chapter 162. Falling into Place

Aurora’s POV

I wake up to a pounding headache, the kind that makes my skull feel like it’s splitting open from the inside out. My body is heavy, unresponsive, as though I’ve been drugged or drained of every ounce of strength. A dull, distant sound fills my ears—muffled at first, then sharpening into something unmistakable.

Crying.

It’s all around me, surrounding me like a thick fog. Different voices, different tones—some are shaking with terror, others gasping between desperate sobs. My pulse stutters in my veins, and I force my eyes open, expecting darkness. Instead, I see… stone. A rough, uneven surface beneath me, cold against my bare skin. My arms are stretched wide, bound at the wrists, and a sickening realization settles in my stomach—I can’t move.

Panic surges through me, and I struggle, pulling at the restraints, but they don’t budge. My breath comes in sharp, shallow gasps as I tilt my head, trying to make sense of my surroundings. That’s when