Maria.
My legs finally gave out.
I don't even remember deciding to fall, my body simply betrayed me. One moment I was barely standing, my knees trembling uncontrollably beneath my weight, and the next, the ground rushed up to meet me. I hit the floor with a loud, hollow thud that echoed through the chamber, pain shooting through my knees and palms as my body collapsed in on itself.
The impact knocked the breath from my lungs.
For a second, I couldn't move. I couldn't even lift my head. The cold floor pressed against my cheek, rough and unforgiving, grounding me in the cruel reality of where I was and what awaited me.
"Stop being dramatic!" Damien snapped.
His voice dripped with irritation, as though my collapse was nothing more than a poorly performed act meant to inconvenience him. I flinched at his words, my fingers curling weakly against the stone as I tried—and failed—to push myself up.
