Zixin landed hard.
His feet hit the ground first, but the force traveled straight through his knees and up his spine, making his entire body jolt. He stumbled forward, one hand immediately reaching out to catch himself against the rough stone wall of a nearby cottage. The stone was cold beneath his palm, its uneven surface scraping against his skin.
For a few seconds, he simply stood there, breathing heavily.
His ears were ringing.
His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath, and his body still felt like it was expecting another attack. His muscles remained tense, ready to run or fight even though nothing was attacking him. After everything that had happened in the village, his body hadn't yet understood that the danger had stopped.
Zixin slowly straightened.
The first thing he noticed was the smell.
