An Unexpected Invitation

Elara’s POV

Consciousness returned to me in agonizingly slow waves, pulling my mind up through a thick, suffocating layer of dark fog. I forced my heavy eyelids open, immediately squinting against the bright, unfamiliar light that flooded my vision. As my eyes slowly adjusted, the blurry shapes in the room gradually sharpened into focus.

This definitely wasn't my tiny, cramped apartment above t