Aria
The chilling evening air bit at my skin, sharp and unforgiving, seeping through the thin layers of fabric I wore. It intensified the unbearable cold that had long since burrowed into my bones, turning my muscles stiff and unresponsive. My entire body ached—each throb a reminder of how long I had been stuck in this hellish limbo. My stomach clenched with hunger, a deep, hollow ache that left me lightheaded and weak. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd eaten, let alone felt warm or safe.
The darkness around me was stifling, pressing in from all sides. I was too exhausted to cry anymore; I'd spent my tears days ago, leaving only a dry, aching throat and an empty, numbing despair in their place. I clung to the fragile threads of hope, though even they felt too thin to hold onto.
