The warmth of the sun filtered through the heavy drapes of Irina's room, casting soft golden hues over the sprawling expanse of her bed. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, the haze of sleep lingering in her mind. For a moment, she simply lay there, her body sinking into the plush mattress, her senses attuned to the unfamiliar stillness of the morning.
'The sun's up,' she thought, blinking slowly as she turned her head toward the window. The soft light streaming in confirmed what her drowsy mind had already noted. It was late—far later than she usually allowed herself to wake, especially here, at the Emberheart Mansion.
Her chest tightened slightly at the realization, a flicker of unease rising. Normally, her mornings were rigid, dictated by an unspoken schedule her mother ensured she followed. Early training, meetings, appearances—it was all part of being the Emberheart heir. She was used to waking before the sun, her body conditioned to a life of constant expectations.
