Five days had elapsed, an interminable stretch of time when I finally began to regain consciousness. My cranium throbbed mercilessly, as if I'd been party to some celestial battle. The searing sensation in my shoulder was like a haunting memory of an invisible assailant. Puzzlingly, a disconcerting oddity pervaded my senses, leaving me grappling with a profound sense of disorientation.
The mental fog began to lift, albeit slowly, prompting me to make an effort to elevate my leaden head from what I deduced was a downy pillow. Blinking against the blinding brilliance that surrounded me, I wondered with trepidation whether I'd ascended to the pearly gates. However, my reverie was interrupted by a subtle shift in the warmth caressing my backside, followed by the delicate touch of a gentle kis
