Consciousness came slowly to Alarielle, a heavy groan escaping her lips as she tried to open her eyes. She was lying on her stomach on a soft white bed, the light in the room piercing at first, making her squint until her eyes adjusted. Her body felt stiff, as though she had been immobile for far too long. She pushed herself up onto her knees with a muffled sound of discomfort, wincing as a sharp pain shot up her arm and across her back, which felt as though it were on fire. Alarielle glanced down at herself and immediately realized she was topless, her body covered only in bandages that wrapped around her midriff and right upper arm. Panic flared in her chest as she scrambled to pull a nearby blanket over her, hastily covering herself. She sat back, crossing her legs beneath the blanket,