After what felt like an eternity, I finally struggled to open my eyes. But before I could, I heard muffled voices—two men, arguing like background noise in a badly dubbed movie. My ears were ringing—an endless, shrill beep that drowned out everything else.

A second later, my hearing snapped back, and the memories hit me like cold water. I tensed. I expected to see my father hovering over me with concern—or worse, scolding. But instead...