Raiden woke with a start.
His body ached, and his back protested against the cold stone floor he'd passed out on. For a moment, he blinked in confusion, staring up at the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the small opening in the ceiling.
Right.
He was still in his base.
The secret basement beneath the abandoned building at the far edge of the Goldheart estate — quiet, forgotten, and perfect for hiding from everyone who thought he trained too much.
He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples. The air here always smelled faintly of dust and old mana — a strange, heavy kind of energy that never truly disappeared. The walls, though cracked, still shimmered faintly with remnants of old inscriptions.
"This place never gets old," Raiden muttered, stretching his sore arms. "Literally."
