With a sharp gasp, Eva sucked in air as if she had been drowning. The coughing that followed said her lungs felt the same, but the pain she was in far exceeded such a meager inconvenience. As her bloodshot eyes jumped from one corner to the other, her breathing settled as she realized the darkness was gone. She was back in the real world.
"I got… ejected?" The chaos rampaging through her mind cleared, and her eyes narrowed. "No…" Another flash of realization hit her just then. "Rito!"
The magic circle on the floor had lost its glow, meaning the sorcery was no longer active. Staggering to her feet, she rushed over to her green-haired teammate, who was still sitting cross-legged across from her. The lack of response alarmed her, then she saw the blood dripping from his nostrils.
"Rito…"
With a shaking hand, she pressed two fingers to his neck and searched for a heartbeat. A slight warmth touched her skin, but there was no pulse. The boy had departed from the world.
"Damn it!"
