Chapter 121 – The Silence After the Storm
POV: Liora
The first thing I became aware of was silence.
Not ordinary silence.
Not the absence of sound.
This silence felt deeper than that.
Heavier.
As though the world itself had exhausted everything it had to give and finally fallen still.
For a long moment, I remained suspended somewhere between sleep and consciousness, unable to tell whether I was dreaming or awake. My body felt distant. Every muscle ached. Every breath seemed to require effort. Even my thoughts moved slowly, as if they were struggling through water.
Pain lingered beneath everything.
Not sharp.
Not unbearable.
Just present.
A reminder of everything that had happened.
The arena.
The attack.
The blood.
The power.
The choice.
Then the memories returned all at once.
My eyes opened.
The movement alone felt difficult.
The ceiling above me was unfamiliar for a moment before recognition settled in.
My chambers.
Someone had brought me back to my rooms.
