The morning sun sliced through the gaps in the curtains, landing in harsh, golden stripes across Sarah’s eyelids. She groaned, shifting her weight, and realized with a start that the clock on the bedside table read nearly ten. She had slept far longer than usual, a deep, heavy slumber that felt less like rest and more like a blackout.

She reached out, her hand brushing the cold, empty space beside her. She was alone in the bed. Panic flared in her chest as she remembered her morning lecture.