(Jace's POV)
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"Jace!"
Ethan's voice pierced through the fog of my consciousness like a scream underwater—distant, distorted, desperate.
My ears rang, drowning everything out in a high-pitched static that felt like a drill in my skull. I blinked hard. Once. Twice. My vision was washed in white, an overwhelming glare that stung my eyes and made it impossible to focus. My limbs felt like they weren't mine—numb, sluggish, too heavy.
"Shit…" I croaked, barely hearing my own voice. I tried to move, but my body rebelled fiercely, sending a cascade of pain shooting down my spine and across my ribs.
And then I felt it—hands, rough and frantic, grabbing the collar of my shirt and yanking me upright like I weighed nothing.
I groaned, dizzy, as the hallway spun around me.
"What the fuck, Jace?! Are you okay?" Ethan's voice was raw, breathless, and much too close now. He gave me a harsh shake, his fingers clamped around my arms like a vice. "Talk to me!"
