Melissa's eyelids fluttered slightly, her eyeballs moving beneath them as her lips quivered, though no words escaped them.
Slowly, she began to drift back to consciousness, and fragmented memories of what had transpired earlier flashed vividly through her mind.
A pain radiated across her back, but its effect didn't feel much. Shouldn't it ache more given the way the whip hit her back?
She became aware of a warm, familiar hand holding hers, a comforting touch that stirred a faint sense of reassurance within her. A faint frown formed between her brows as her senses gradually returned, and she summoned the strength to open her eyes.
At first, her vision was blurry, the shapes and colors around her blending together. But as the haze lifted, her gaze landed on someone lying close beside her. The image sharpened, and recognition flickered in her expression.
