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Cheska lay motionless on the scratchy hay, her body heavy and unresponsive.
"Nathan..." she whispered faintly.
The name fell into the suffocating silence, swallowed whole by the low creak of the cabin roof.
Silent tears traced cold paths down her cheeks, their warmth long gone. Each shallow breath felt like a losing battle, the oppressive weight of her situation pressing harder with every passing second.
But the whispers in her mind refused to let her linger in despair.
Get up, woman!
Are you really this weak?!
Why are you just lying there?!
The harsh scolding struck like a whip, cutting through the fog of hopelessness. A flicker of defiance sparked in her chest.
