Underneath the cave, deep in the hidden place where the dragons kept Ashen safe, Ashen's eyes finally fluttered open.
The breath that left his mouth was weak, as if he had been drowning for days.
His chest rose once, as if the air he dragged in did not belong to him.
Slowly he blinked several times, trying to steady his sight, but the darkness around him spun.
He could not tell if it was morning or night. All he knew was that something heavy pressed on his heart.
And all his brain screamed was: his wife. Of course, he would recall everything about his wife.
He did not know what, but every instinct inside him twisted painfully, warning him that Lumina needed him so much now.
He tried to sit, but the pain shot through his chest like a blade.
His breath was coming out so hard, his hands trembled as he pressed them against his ribcage, remembering the last memory before everything went dark.
