The Silent Defiance

Kaelia

Sunlight slanted across the mattress, waking me to a deep, persistent soreness settled low in my body.

Every small shift of my weight brought it right back into focus. The second I pushed the covers aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my breath snagged in my throat, my fingers twisting tight into the sheets until I found my balance again.

Wiping last night from my memory cl