His parched lips parted as consciousness slowly surfaced, dragging him out of the depths of a long, heavy slumber.
His chest rose and fell, shallow but steady, while his head shifted weakly against the pillow. Trembling lids fluttered open, fighting against the weight of exhaustion that pressed on him like a boulder.
Saures blinked, his blurred vision gradually adjusting to the unfamiliar surroundings.
Dizziness swept over him the moment he tried to focus. Around him, faint light glimmered off polished brass instruments and glass tubes filled with softly glowing liquid.
Pale linen curtains were peeled back and tied to the bedposts, while a faint aroma of herbs blended with a metallic scent in the air, subtly indicating that he was in a treatment facility.
The excruciating pain that once tore through his body was gone, yet a bone-deep weariness still chained him to the bed.
Then, a voice broke through the quiet.
"He's awake!"
