"So let's wait, shall we? Until then… dream, my son. Dream of the day you'll walk beside him, and fight beside him once more... I think it's time, Thank you for accompanying me for a while, it was short but fun...see you again someday, My Child~"
The light dimmed.
The world faded.
And Askara's consciousness slipped away like a falling ember into the dark.
---
When his eyes opened again, a familiar ceiling greeted him. The faint scent of sandalwood and the soft glow of morning filtered through white curtains.
'My room?' he thought sluggishly. 'So... the trial has ended? How long was I unconscious?'
A dull ache rolled through his body the moment he tried to move.
"Ughh…" he groaned, clutching his ribs. Pain flared everywhere, sharp, throbbing, and real. His head was the only part untouched by bandages; the rest of him looked like a mummy.
"Well…" he muttered with a dry laugh, voice hoarse, "it was THAT bad I think"
