I woke up to the soft hiss of filtered air and the distant rhythm of a mana monitor.
The ceiling above me was a dull off-white, the kind you only ever saw in hospitals or places where comfort was an afterthought. My body felt heavy, like someone had poured molten lead into my veins and forgot to drain it out. Every breath I took felt wrong—too controlled, like the room itself was making sure I didn't forget I wasn't in charge right now.
It took a moment to sit up. A long one. My hands were shaking, and my vision swam with static. But I pushed through. I had to.
Then it came back.
The way the mana inside me had twisted, spiraled, snapped— And how I'd lost control. No. Not just lost it. Unleashed it.
And they were there.
Rachel. Cecilia. Seraphina. Rose.
I saw their faces. I felt their fear. Because of me.
"Damn it…" I muttered, my voice hoarse and dry.
'You were trying to protect them,' a voice echoed gently in my mind.
I blinked. Luna.
