Aria slept longer than she intended, exhaustion weighing heavily on her limbs. She drifted in and out of dreams—broken images of fire, Zyren's unreadable gold eyes, and Clara's razor-sharp smile—until a light tapping on her back slowly pulled her toward consciousness. It was gentle at first, like a nudge meant to coax her awake. But then came a firmer shake, strong enough to make her eyes flutter open.
She blinked up groggily and saw Rymora standing over her, leaning slightly forward with worry etched across her face.
"The sun will be setting soon," Rymora whispered the moment she saw Aria awake. "I figured you would prefer to have the meeting before dinner."
Aria groaned softly, pushing herself upright as she ran a hand over her face. Her body still felt heavy, weighed down by the constant anxiety that had clung to her ever since leaving Zyren's chambers. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head until her bones cracked, then swung her legs off the bed.
