Liam gasped as he regained consciousness, his lungs burning as if he'd been drowning. His eyes flew open, his chest heaving as if he had just run for miles, his heartbeat a frantic drum against his ribs. Sweat drenched the thin shirt he wore; it clung to his skin like a second layer, cold and suffocating. The world around him was a blurry mess, a swirling blend of indistinct shapes, muted colors, and muffled voices moving about like shadows just beyond his grasp.
He clutched his head, fingers digging into his temples as he fought to regain his bearings. The throbbing behind his eyes was relentless, each pulse sending fresh waves of nausea through him. But slowly, his vision sharpened into focus, the haze lifting like fog burned away by the sun.
