Xavier floated in darkness. The pain was gone. So was the cold. The fear. Everything reduced to a quiet emptiness.
Am I dead again? This feels different from last time.
Something warm blossomed in his chest. Not uncomfortable. Like sitting before a hearth after being out in the snow too long. The warmth spread outward, fingers of heat tracing paths through his limbs.
This isn't so bad.
Muffled sounds penetrated the darkness. Screams? Shouts? They seemed to come from very far away, distorted as if traveling through water. Xavier tried to focus on them, but they slipped away like dreams upon waking.
Someone's calling me.
The darkness began to lift. Replaced by blinding white. Snow? Sky? Both merged into a painful brightness that forced him to close his right eye. His left stayed open, revealing winter sky and swirling snow.
Something heavy and warm pressed against his chest. Moving. Shaking him.
"—avier! Xavier! Can you hear me?"
The voice sounded wrong. Stretched and warped.
