Fragments of the Forgotten

Or if, perhaps, I'd already lost far more than I realized.

Exhaustion seeped through my bones, my body heavy with lingering aches from the brutal fight against Vorath. The oppressive silence of my chamber pressed down on me, wrapping tightly around my thoughts. With a weary sigh, I moved toward my bed—a stark, narrow frame carved from blackened wood and sank onto it, the thin mattress barely cushioning my weight.

Closing my eyes, I tried to silence the storm of doubts swirling relentlessly in my mind, but rest remained elusive, slipping further away the harder I chased it. The system stayed mercifully quiet for once, sensing perhaps that even its sarcastic presence wouldn't be welcome now.

Finally, exhaustion overcame me, pulling me into an uneasy sleep.

At first, darkness.