Chapter 163

• Katarina's POV
• The first sensation that returned to me was the sense of smell. The pungent odor of damp earth filled my nostrils, overpowering every other scent around me. It was a deep, earthy aroma mixed with something sharp and metallic, though it wasn't the familiar, haunting scent of blood—an aroma that had been etched into my memory forever. This was different, more sinister somehow.
• As my sense of touch returned, it brought with it an unwelcome wave of discomfort. My skin was slick with sweat, my entire body searing as if it had been submerged in molten fire. Even the slightest twitch—a mere wrinkle of my nose or the slightest shift of a finger—ignited an inferno of pain that roared through my veins, intensifying with every breath. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently begging for the merciful embrace of unconsciousness to take me back.