Nerine's first thought was that the world felt… different.
Her eyelids fluttered open, heavy as if a thousand stones pressed them down. The cave's ceiling was above her, a jagged lattice of stone etched with shadows. A faint glow seeped in through a crack overhead, soft orange light pooling across the damp floor. Evening.
Her body ached, though not in any way she could put into words. Every nerve hummed as if touched by fire. She shifted, and the motion alone felt foreign, as if her skin no longer belonged to her.
"You're awake."
The voice was low, smooth, and closer than she expected. Nerine turned her head sluggishly—and found Kael sitting beside her, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp as ever. His black coat was gone, his shirt torn across the chest, and faint traces of dried black blood lingered at the corner of his mouth.
"You—" Her throat cracked. She coughed, tasting the dryness of it. "You're alive."
