(VALENTINO'S POV)
The first thing I hear is this high-pitched sound that never stops.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
My eyelids feel impossibly heavy when I finally try to open them.
For a few seconds, all I see is light and colors bleeding together in a blur.
My eyes fall shut again because I can barely keep them open.
My body feels so heavy, like something is pressing down on my arms and legs, pinning me in place. I try to move just a little but nothing happens.
It's like I'm trapped inside my own skin.
I force my eyes open again and my vision swims, then sharpens for half a second before going soft again. I blink slowly, trying to hold on to the world in front of me, but my eyelids keep falling. Every time I manage to drag them open, they want to close again.
I feel so weak… so tired.
My mouth parts as I try to say something but my throat feels raw and sore, and all that comes out is a weak breath.
