Matt woke up when the first faint light of dawn touched the window of his room in the Grand Veil Spire. He did not get up right away. He stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, letting his thoughts move slowly. The room was simple — a bed, a small table, a chair, and the soft glow from the twilight orb far above the city. He liked the simplicity. It helped him remember he was still the same person who once woke up in a hospital bed after being bitten in a dark alley.
He thought about the last few months. The long journeys. The villages. The echoes. The way the team had grown closer. The way the hunger had become quieter, almost like a companion that had learned to walk beside him instead of pulling him forward. He felt grateful, but he also felt the weight of responsibility. The harmony wa
