Zara
I sat on the edge of my thin mattress, staring blankly at the cold stone floor. The sun had only just begun to rise, spilling through the window, brushing my bare toes with trembling light. A shiver passed through me, curling around my ribs, making my chest tighten until it hurt to breathe.
Eighteen.
The number echoed in my mind like a chime striking midnight. I’d spent my entire life in fear of this day, counting the months in secret dread, wondering if I would live long enough to reach it… and now that it was days away, the terror felt thick and metallic on my tongue.
I pressed my fingertips into the creased blanket pooled around my thighs. My nails dug crescent moons into the flesh of my palms. The room was silent except for my ragged breathing. Even though Alex’s room was down
