Lucian floated in a space that wasn't dark, nor light. Just… quiet. The kind of silence that wraps around the bones, numbs the mind, and blurs time.
There was no pain here. Just stillness.
His body had given up, but something in him—some quiet, stubborn part—refused pto let go.
Then it came. A warmth, soft and strange, blooming beneath his ribcage like a slow-burning fire. At first he thought it was a dream. But then the warmth grew, surged, and suddenly it wasn't warmth—it was life.
He felt it flood his veins, awaken his heart with a shuddering beat. Life and strength slammed back into his body all at once. His lungs convulsed. He coughed, gasping like he'd been drowning underwater for hours.
His eyes finally snapped open.
