Chapter 44 The Choice That Awaits

• I awoke to a metallic taste in my mouth—my own blood. The sharp flavor clung to my tongue, making me retch as I struggled to sit up. The world around me spun, yet there was a newfound clarity, as if a veil had been lifted, exposing the horrifying reality in vivid detail.
• I reached up to touch my face, anticipating the warmth of my skin. Instead, it was icy, as if all vitality had seeped away. My gaze dropped, and I gasped at the sight of long, jagged scratches—deep, raw wounds—crisscrossing my arms. They hadn’t been there before.
• What had transpired?