The room was eerily quiet when Carmen stirred awake again, her head pounding with a dull ache that seemed to radiate through her entire body, especially her head. The first thing she noticed was how soft and luxurious the bed beneath her felt—it was like resting on a bunch of clouds or cotton candy. She blinked a few times, her vision focusing on the grandeur surrounding her.
The room was more than enormous, larger than any space she had ever called her own. Sunlight streamed through towering windows draped in the finest silk curtains. The room was dimly lit by a single chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The other chandeliers overhead sparkled with crystals refracting light that danced across the walls, which were decorated with hand-printed murals and gold embellishments. The opulent furnishings, rich red drapes, and polished marble floors gleamed softly in the light, giving the room an air of somber elegance.