The sound of rain tapping softly against the glass windows was the first thing Cairen heard when he woke up.
For a moment, he forgot where he was. The white ceiling, the silence, and the absence of mist disoriented him. After so many days sleeping amid the cold, metallic scent of blood, that clean and quiet room felt… strange, in a way.
He got up slowly, washed his face, and looked at his reflection in the polished mirror.
He remembered Mei Ran's words. He looked at his messy black hair and at his eyes, eyes filled with an absolute darkness, as if they didn't reflect light but absorbed it.
He could say he was satisfied with his appearance. For a moment, he simply sighed and took a deep breath.
The energy within him flowed like a river through his dantian, silent, without turbulence. His cultivation was stabilized, his soul firm, and his body already accustomed to the weight of all his bloodlines.
