The Price of Power

When Liria woke up, the world felt oddly quiet. Her body ached in ways she couldn't fully explain, and her mind felt like it had been wrung out and left to dry. She blinked up at the darkened canopy of the forest, the faint glow of dawn peeking through the leaves.

"What in the ever-burning hell happened?" she croaked, her voice raspy.

[Good morning, Liria! Let's start with the highlights: You lost control, turned into some kind of rage-fueled demon monster, wrecked half the forest, and got your butt handed to you by your grandmother. Successful day, wouldn't you agree?]

"Oh, fantastic," Liria muttered, rolling onto her side. Her arms felt like lead, and every movement sent a dull throb of pain through her body. "And here I was hoping for a peaceful morning."

Ananara's voice piped up from her side. "Peaceful? You? You were one cackle away from declaring yourself Queen of Chaos!"