Life

Aeliana's mind swam in a haze of dull throbbing pain.

Her body ached—every muscle, every bone, every inch of her skin felt sore in a way she had never experienced before. It was a deep, heavy exhaustion, like she had been crushed beneath something immense and barely pried herself free.

A groan slipped past her lips.

Her thoughts were slow, sluggish. A fog clung to the edges of her mind, making it hard to think, hard to remember—

But then—

Memory crept in.

The fight.

The Kraken.

The void.

Him.

Her breath hitched, her eyes snapping open.

'Did I… die?'

She had accepted it. She should have died. She felt herself dying. So why—?

Was this the afterlife?

Or hell?

Aeliana's blurry vision struggled to focus as she lifted her gaze, taking in her surroundings for the first time.

Dark.

Enclosed.