Crossing The Witch (I)

That would be something for tomorrow.

Zayn sighed and retracted the golden tentacles.

They slithered back into his body smoothly, disappearing beneath his skin as if they had never been there to begin with.

He still felt the residual energy of them in his back, but at least his mana had stopped draining.

His entire body suddenly felt heavy.

He looked out the window.

The sky outside had long since gone dark, with the faint glow of the moon casting a pale light over the horizon.

With a final, tired sigh, Zayn let his body fall onto the bed, his muscles sinking into the soft mattress.

The exhaustion hit him all at once.

The soreness in his limbs.

The dull ache in his core from overloading his soul circuits. The mental fatigue of nearly dying.

It all came crashing down.

His eyes drifted shut.

…

Morning light streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the wooden dining table.