In the blink of an eye, the inky tendrils of Vylkr energy that had engulfed him vanished, retracting smoothly into their respective containers.
"HAAA!! HAAA!!!" Orion gasped, his breaths ragged and vision still blurred. His weary eyes scanned the lifeless vegetation and the soil, tainted by his dripping blood, forming a macabre tableau before him.
With one final calming breath to still both his mind and body, he collapsed abruptly, his form sinking onto the blood-soaked earth, unconsciousness claiming him.
Meanwhile, the Princess of the Garden and her vigilant guardians continued to observe Orion with cautious eyes, deliberating whether it was finally safe to approach him or not.
"By Naka..." The Princess of the Garden muttered, regaining her composure and signalling for the pixies to clear a path for her.
