~Laurent
The world was soundless except for the pulse in my ears.
Each beat hurt.
I tried to move. My body didn’t agree. My arms twitched; that was all. The stone beneath me was cold enough to sting through my clothes. I could taste iron, thick in my throat.
Get up, I told myself. The thought barely made sense. My vision kept shaking, tilting between black and red. Get up. You’re alone. You can’t die here.
Blood Recovery worked furiously under my skin — I could feel the heat of it knitting flesh, sealing ruptured veins — but it was too slow. If I waited for it to finish, I’d already be dead.
Across the room, the creature began walking toward me. Not rushing, not cautious. Just certain. His bare feet left smudges of darkness with each step.
He looked almost… content. “It’s been a lon
