When Su Ningyan woke up, his head was pounding violently, every pulse sending sharp pain through his skull. His body felt unbearably heavy, so heavy that several long minutes passed before he managed to open his eyes.
When he finally did, he found himself lying on the cold forest floor, his back pressed against the rough bark of a tree.
In front of him stood a large tent. A fire burned nearby, its flames low and surrounding it were two massive tigers standing guard with sharp, watchful eyes.
They were in a forest.
A very cold forest.
Dusk had already settled in. The sun hovered low, bleeding orange and red through the dense canopy.
Ningyan's heart sank.
He was outside the academy grounds.
His breathing slowed unnaturally, shallow and weak. His fingers barely twitched when he tried to move them.
"No…"
