Page 30 of Celestial Combat

My vision darkened at the edges, the noise of the club fading like I was sinking underwater. The only thing I was able to make out was the snake tattoo crawling up his neck.

I felt myself being pulled.

And then…

Nothing.

Chapter 11

19 years old

Manhattan, New York City

I WOKE UP TO THE sharp scent of antiseptic and the distant murmur of voices beyond a closed door. The fluorescent lighting above buzzed faintly, too bright against the sterile white of the hospital room. My body ached in places I couldn’t name, my head pounding with every slow beat of my pulse.

Where the hell was I?

I blinked a few times, my vision struggling to adjust. The room was unfamiliar; beige walls, a stiff white blanket covering my legs, an IV drip attached to my arm. My mouth was dry, my throat raw, like I’d swallowed a handful of sand.

Panic flickered in my chest, but I forced myself to breathe through it.

Think, Kali.

I tried to pull memories from the night before, but everything was disjointed, frayed at the edges. The club. The music. The man who bumped into me…

A sharp pain pulsed in my side. I shifted, wincing as a dull ache radiated from my ribs. I touched my face and felt the rough drag of bandages along my cheek. My fingers trembled.

The door creaked open.

Trevor stepped inside first, dressed in one of his usual crisp T-shirts, ruffled like he’d been pulling at it all night. Natalia followed, her soft brown hair slightly disheveled, a package of white roses clutched in her hands.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until I saw her.

“Nat?” My voice cracked, weak and unfamiliar.

Her face softened. She abandoned the flowers on the dresser and rushed to my side, careful as she wrapped her arms around me. The warmth of her embrace settled the trembling in my limbs, grounding me in something real.

Trevor stood stiffly at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, his sharp gaze raking over me like he was scanning for further damage. His silence said more than words ever could.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse. “Why am I here?”

Natalia pulled back, glancing over her shoulder at Trevor. Something passed between them – something unspoken.

Trevor exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. “You don’t remember?” His voice was lower than usual, a rough edge to it.

I tried to grasp at the hazy fragments in my mind, but everything after the club felt… Blank. A void where memory should’ve been.

I shook my head. “Nat?”

“We’ll talk once you feel better,” Natalia said gently, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

“No. I want to know what happened to me. Now.”

When neither of them spoke, my heart started hammering.

“Did I get in a car accident? I don’t even have a license,” I blurted. My voice wavered, too unsteady, and I hated it. “Shit, maybe that’s why I crashed…”

“You weren’t in a car accident,” Trevor cut in, his tone clipped.

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