Chapter 32: A Narrowed World
The pale morning sunlight crept through the gaps in the hospital curtains, creating golden stripes across the cold linoleum floor. Scarlett woke slowly, but her consciousness did not arrive with peace. The first thing she felt was her heart racing, a natural alarm triggered by vague memories of darkness and the musty scent of the warehouse.
She jolted, her breath coming in gasps as her weary eyes searched the dim room. "Ju—"
Her voice cut off as she felt a solid warmth enveloping her fingers. Beside her bed, Julian was still there. He sat in a hard wooden chair, still wearing the same black shirt from the previous night. His sharp eyes looked tired, with dark shadows beneath them, but he was fully awake. It was as if while Scarlett slept, Julian had never allowed his eyelids to close, not even for a second.
"I'm here," Julian's voice was hoarse, but it provided an immediate anchor for Scarlett's drifting soul.
