An alarm rang, sharp and insistent in the quiet of the room.
Raven stirred and turned her head slightly, her eyes falling upon the watch placed neatly on the side table. She reached out and tapped it, silencing the sound. It was exactly six in the morning.
The anxiety that had kept her awake through the night had vanished as though it had never existed. Sleep had come late, settling over her only when dawn approached, as it often did on days when her mind refused to rest at the proper hour. Now her body felt heavy, her limbs weighed down by exhaustion, and her head throbbed with a familiar ache. It reminded her of the days she had once spent indoors, losing track of time between books and screens, only to fall asleep when the first light touched her window.
Her eyes had barely closed when the peace was shattered.
