Chapter 123 Echoes Of The Familiar

• The morning light spilled softly through the curtains, pale and golden, touching everything it could reach. The hospital room that had felt cold and sterile last night now seemed almost forgiving. Zara blinked against the brightness, her body heavy, her head still wrapped in that faint, cotton-soft fog that followed her since the fall.
• Her mother was sitting at the edge of the bed, reading through the discharge papers. Her father stood by the door, speaking quietly with the doctor. Their voices were low, careful as though even sound might bruise her.
• “Mom?” Zara croaked, her throat still dry.