Astraea's POV
When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in Nyxhaven anymore.
At first, I thought I was dreaming, because there was no way I could've gone from that cursed, dark pit to… this. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my vision, but even before I sat up, I knew I was on a bed. The soft surface and the smell of incense had already told me that this wasn't the cold stone floor of Nyxhaven. This was… familiar. Too familiar.
I sat up slowly, my hands gripping the edge of the mattress, my mind spinning. For a moment, I didn't move, afraid that if I did, I'd find out I was hallucinating. The last thing I remembered was trying to find a way out of Nyxhaven, surrounded by darkness so thick I could barely breathe. I'd been walking, trying not to lose my mind, and then nothing. Just black.
And now I was here.
I looked around, and my chest tightened. The tall windows, the floor, and the dark gold curtains all screamed that I was at a palace. Specifically, Vaelthar's palace.
