I slowly allowed myself to slip back into the darkness.
Even though I had only just opened my eyes, a bone-deep exhaustion settled over me, as if every cell in my body had been vibrating at a frequency it wasn't built to handle.
The confusion and the wreckage of the room were too much for my mind to process, but I felt a flicker of safety when Dracon stayed by my side. His large, warm hand moved in slow, rhythmic circles against my back, a silent anchor in the storm. Wrapped in that warmth, I let go and let the sleep take me again.
This time, there was no void. I felt a sudden, weightless shift, like my soul was being transported across a great distance. When I finally felt solid ground beneath me, I braced for the impact of the hard earth, but the landing was impossibly soft.
I opene
