The worst of the pain finally receded.
It did not vanish all at once. Instead, it faded slowly, like a storm withdrawing from the shore. The burning along Jagger's forearm dulled first, followed by the crawling sensation in his side where the spike had pierced him. The deep ache in his palm lingered the longest, a stubborn reminder of teeth and claws that had nearly taken his hand. Eventually, even that softened until it became nothing more than a distant throb. Regeneration had finished its work.
