Celeste's body suddenly jerked upright.
A sharp gasp tore from her lungs, raw and desperate, cutting straight through the heavy silence left behind by the shattered window. Her chest rose violently as though she had been drowning and only just reached air again.
"Celeste—" Vaylen staggered forward, his voice breaking before he could reach her.
Her fingers clawed at the sheets, trembling as if she couldn't tell whether the world beneath her was real. Her eyes fluttered wildly, unfocused, glassy, before finally locking onto the ceiling like she was afraid it would disappear if she blinked.
Auren was at her side in an instant, one hand hovering over her heart, a wide blue glow flaring faintly beneath his palm as he searched for the rhythm of a soul returning home.
"She's here," he breathed. "She's really here."
Celeste drew another breath, then another, slower this time… deeper.
And then, at last, a hoarse whisper left her lips. "Father…?"
Vaylen crumpled where he stood.
