The first breath I took after the fight was the deepest I'd had in hours. No shallow gasps, no pain riding up my ribs—just full lungs and a quiet that didn't feel like a warning anymore.
The jungle had exhaled with me. Slowly. Finally.
My System hummed through every limb, steady and warm, like marrow reknitting itself around a new core. It wasn't just back—it was alive inside me. The familiar weight of my skills settled into place like an old uniform. A little tighter than I remembered, but mine all the same.
I knelt beside Camille first. Her curls were matted with blood and sweat, her breath shallow. She raised her good arm before I could speak.
"Before you say anything dramatic," she muttered, "just know I'm fine. My dramatic quota is full after watching your 'I'll die in the dirt before I submit' monologue."
I let out something halfway between a laugh and a groan. "Glad to know you were listening."
