Yarin's POV:
When I woke up, there was no one around. I was lying on the high platform in the secret chamber of the New Moon Temple. The bedding was soft, and I couldn't make any significant movements for now. I had slept for too long, and my muscles were not yet ready.
The pure white curtains were just as they were in my dream. I turned my head slightly, and there lay a small harp beside my pillow.
It was different from the one in my dream. The wooden body of the harp had dried and cracked, the golden and silver strings were rusty, and some were even broken, curling toward the round silver ornament that had oxidized to a dark hue. It was no longer as shiny and pristine as before.
How could it have turned out like this?
I wanted to get closer for a better look, but my body wouldn't allow it yet. Just then, the door to the chamber opened slightly, and a few figures stumbled toward me.
"Yarin! My child, you're awake..."
