Chapter Seventy-Three: What Happened?

Kiara's POV: Dipping in and out of consciousness was a weird sensation. It felt as if I was floating in a vast ocean, the surface glimmering with the touch of sunlight just a little out of my reach. Each time I nearly broke through, it danced away, teasing me, tantalizingly close yet so far. My senses were muted, my thoughts garbled, but I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was not alone. The first thing I heard was a voice, a comforting and familiar sound that pierced through the heavy shroud of darkness. "Sweetheart," it resonated, each syllable drenched with a cocktail of emotions—despair, urgency, fear. Kayden. I’d know his voice anywhere. The gentle baritone brought a sense of familiarity in the midst of my confusion. It called out to me, urging me to wake, to respond. Another voice joined in, softer yet firm. "Kiara, we need you to open your eyes, love." Jayden. His voice, usually so steady, was laced with an undercurrent of anxiety. It reverberated around me, weaving its way t