The chamber was dim, its walls faintly glowing with runes that pulsed in rhythm with the mana veins of Eldoria. Soft light from a suspended crystal lantern spilled over the bed where Lila lay, her pale skin almost translucent against the sheets. Her eyelashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened—dull at first, then sharpening with awareness.
Her breathing quickened. The first thing she felt was the unfamiliar weight of stillness. No battle. No screams. No rush of hybrid claws tearing through the air. Only silence, punctuated by the faint hum of mana.
Lila tried to sit upright but pain lanced through her chest, forcing her back down. A groan slipped past her lips.
A gentle hand pressed to her shoulder.
