Lex's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the twinkling stars across the night sky. For a brief moment, he felt disoriented, his mind struggling to shake off the fog of sleep. Then, like a crashing wave, the memory of the Hunter's attack flooded back.
'Fucking Hunter! Why would the empire try capture me when I've done nothing but help them with the Hivefiends,' Lex thought to himself.
He sat up abruptly, a grimace of pain crossing his face as he recalled the blows he had endured. Surveying his surroundings, Lex noticed the five cats clustered around him, their fur gleaming in the dim light.
Nephthys lay beside him, and her comforting presence made him feel better. Midnight nestled on his legs, a silent sentinel in the darkness. Aurora, Fiamma, and Peri circled him cautiously, their feline instincts alert to danger.
