Light bled through the edges of Ash's vision.
His eyes fluttered open, lashes crusted with dried blood. Above him, not sky, not stone- something in between. The ceiling swirled with bioluminescent mist, threads of green and violet pulsing through the arches. Roots curled along the surface like veins. Spores drifted lazily, glowing faintly in the dim.
Sound filtered in next- uneven, layered, like breath echoing through lungs far too large. There were voices too, murmured in tones too deep for human throats. The words slipped between languages, but something in his mind caught fragments.
"...still bearing the mark…"
"...the tyrant's frost failed to breach the seal…"
"...survived the… remarkable…"
Pain returned like a tide.
It spread from his chest, starting from through his ribs, to the curled tips of his claws. His body was still numb in places- frozen nerves flickering awake- but everywhere else burned. His skin itched with dried blood and cold rot.
