The Princess Awakens

Ingrid's eyelids fluttered, a slow and deliberate movement as consciousness reluctantly returned to her. The soft light filtering through the curtains painted gentle patterns on the familiar ceiling above her. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, she shifted her gaze towards the corner of the room where Christine stood, her figure blurred by the haze of waking.

The muffled voices around her seemed distant, like echoes bouncing off the walls of her mind. Ingrid strained to make out the words, her senses dulled by the lingering fog of sleep. Her brows furrowed as she struggled to piece together the fragments of her surroundings.

Ingrid attempted to move but her limbs felt heavy with an unfamiliar weight. The effort sent a wave of pain rippling through her body, her muscles protesting against the strain of movement.

Furrowing her brows deeper, Ingrid closed her eyes against the dull ache that pulsed behind her temples.