And with that, it was gone.
I let out a long, shuddering breath, the kind that feels like it drags your soul out with it.
Sweat slicked my skin, running down the side of my face and dripping onto the grass below.
The once hostile air finally felt breathable again, and my legs gave out beneath me.
I turned over, collapsing fully onto my back, the fresh blades of grass bending under my weight, damp and soft against my skin as I stared up at the open sky.
The seal on my back still burned faintly, a dull, rhythmic sting that pulsed in time with my heartbeat.
It wasn't unbearable anymore, just a constant reminder of what had happened, of what now lingered inside me. I wanted to reach back and feel it, to confirm it was real, but it was lodged too high between my shoulders for me to touch.
Even if I could… I wasn't sure I wanted to.
So instead, I just breathed.
