I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, a bland, pale surface that wasn't mine, dotted with faint water stains and lit by the warm hue of morning light filtering through a nearby window. For a moment, I didn't recognize where I was. The sterile scent of herbs mixed with old wood wafted into my nostrils, grounding me.
Then, like a tidal wave crashing through my skull, the memories returned—the ambush, the clash with Alad, the blinding pain, and then... darkness. My heart lurched in my chest, and I pushed myself upright in the bed, groaning as soreness prickled across my body like dozens of tiny needles. The blanket fell off me, revealing bandaged arms and a few scrapes still healing.
