481 Familiar but strange

Alicia's eyelids fluttered open weakly, and the world rushed in like a tidal wave. Blinding light pierced her vision, making her squint against its intensity. Her head throbbed as if a storm raged within her skull, and a heavy weight seemed to press down on her chest. The sterile, clinical smell of the hospital invaded her nostrils, mingling with the faint scent of antiseptic.

As her senses gradually awakened, a symphony of beeps, clicks, and mechanical murmurs filled the room. Each sound echoed like a distant memory, a ghostly reminder of the world she had been detached from. Alicia's fingers twitched as she attempted to shift her body, but an overwhelming weakness held her captive, rendering her limbs leaden and unresponsive.