The Medieval World
Anna woke choking.
Not on air—
—but on smoke.
Her lungs burned as she rolled onto her side, coughing hard, fingers clawing at damp earth. The ground beneath her was real—muddy, cold, unforgiving. No soft light. No hum of Aurelion.
Just rain.
Cold rain, soaking through her clothes, plastering her hair to her face.
“Lexus—!”
She felt him before she saw him—a hand gripping her shoulder, solid, grounding.
“I’m here,” he said hoarsely.
She turned, relief crashing through her chest.
They were in a forest.
Ancient, dense, oppressive. Towering trees twisted upward like grasping hands, their branches blotting out most of the sky. What little light filtered through was grey and weak.
Anna pushed herself upright, heart pounding. “This doesn’t feel… contained.”
“No,” L
