KELLY THOMPSON'S POV
Consciousness crept upon me like the slow rise of a sinister moon, unveiling the world in increments of pain. The soft rustle of sheets against my bandaged skin whispered tales of a battle hard-fought, each breath I drew lacing my bones with fire. As awareness further infiltrated my fogged mind, I realized I lay prostrate upon a bed, swathed in white bindings that seemed to mock the purity they could never truly possess.
My body was a map of agony, charted with lines of suffering etched deep by the guardian's relentless fury. I remembered the searing touch of dark magic, the way it clawed at my flesh as if seeking to unearth the very essence of my spirit. The wounds were grave, a testament to the peril that guarding the sacred hallow had inflicted upon me. Each pulse of my beating heart sent ripples of torment cascading through my weary frame, yet within that anguish, there thrummed a relentless determination—a silent vow that I would endure.