"Hmm..."
A soft sound escapes my lips, barely conscious, lost somewhere between sleep and the edge of waking. I shift, burrowing deeper into the pillow beneath me, chasing the lingering warmth of sleep.
The sheets are impossibly soft against my skin, cradling me like a cloud, and a familiar scent wraps around me—faint roses, woven into the air like a second skin, seeping into my lungs with every slow, steady breath.
I don't want to wake up. I want to stay here, in this soft, warm place. My body feels light, weightless, like I'm floating on a slow current of warmth and silence.
But the light pulls at me, golden and insistent, spilling through my closed eyelids like a gentle command. I resist for a moment longer, then surrender.
My eyes open.
