The next time Finn opened his eyes, it was to a pitch blackness and a sharp, stabbing pain in his head.
For a disorienting moment, he didn't know where he was. His face felt stiff and crusty, caked with blood that had dried for hours. When he tried to move, every muscle screamed in protest, and behind him, his wings were cramped and hurting from hours of being in the same position.
The memories came flooding back in a rush. Garuda. The divine trial. The impossible flight across cosmic distances. The Aspects. The Divine Essence. Garuda's final words…
Finn's eyes snapped fully open, adjusting quickly to the darkness thanks to his enhanced Ferropteryx sight. He could see everything clearly — the wooden beams of the ceiling, the pool of dried blood surrounding him in a dark circle, and even the trees outside the window that swayed in the soft night breeze.
He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. His head swam and the room tilted sickeningly in his vision.
