[Ace POV],
A low, pained groan escaped my lips, the simple act of groaning exacerbating the throbbing ache that seemed to have taken up residence in my head. The sensation was akin to my skull being on the brink of shattering into a million pieces, an unrelenting agony that clenched its grasp tighter with every heartbeat.
Then, a touch, gentle yet profound, graced my forehead, offering a counterpoint to the searing pain. The splitting headache that had monopolised my senses momentarily relinquished its grip as a soft hand made contact with my fevered skin.
Even with my eyes firmly shut, there was no need for sight to discern the origin of that touch. My heightened senses, attuned to the ebb and flow of mana, immediately identified the signature. It was unmistakably Emma. Her mana, like a soothing whisper, radiated a reassuring presence, a balm to my distressed state.
