From Despair's Edge to a Puzzling Truth

I opened my eyes to a familiar ceiling fan spinning lazily above me. My body felt heavy, weighted down by exhaustion that seeped into my very bones. For a moment, I couldn't place where I was. The soft mattress beneath me felt too real, too comfortable. The scent in the air—Hazel's sweet perfume mixed with something else—was too perfect.

This had to be another trick of the Void.

I'd experienced these hallucinations before. Perfect replicas of reality designed to give hope before cruelly snatching it away. My heart ached at the thought that I was still trapped, still lost, still separated from my bonds.

"Hazel?" I croaked, my voice barely a whisper.

Then I felt it—warm fingers interlaced with mine. I turned my head, the movement requiring far more effort than it should, and there she was. My Hazel, her beautiful face etched with concern, her blue eyes filled with tears.

"Si, you're awake," she breathed, squeezing my hand.