I woke up feeling sore.
My back ached in a way that made me immediately regret sitting up too quickly, and the moment I tried, a sharp protest ran through my muscles. I winced, sucking in a quiet breath as I leaned forward slowly, pressing my palm against the back of my neck as if that might somehow ease the stiffness spreading through my shoulders.
The room was quiet.
Not the uncomfortable kind of quiet, but the soft, early-morning silence that always felt slightly unreal, like the world was still deciding whether or not to wake up yet. Pale morning light slipped through the curtains in long, gentle streaks, painting faint gold lines across the floor and the edge of the bed.
For a few seconds, my brain lagged behind my body.
Then everything came back at once. I remember everything that happened last night and why my back hurts so much.
"Great," I muttered under my breath, dragging a hand over my face.
