Conrad's sense slowly came back to him.
At first, he felt the sensation of something soft beneath his head. Then came the muted sounds of voices in the background.
Connie's chest ached, his limbs felt sluggish, and his head throbbed with a dull pain, which was odd because he didn't remember exerting much effort in the past few hours.
For a moment, he decided to lay a bit longer on the soft surface, convinced that he was still trapped in that twisted nightmare with that shadow creature.
His eyes fluttered open and the room around him gradually came into focus. As the warm light of the office permeated his eyes, the first thing he saw was her—
"Mel…?"
Meliora was sitting beside him, alive and unharmed, her fingers gently stroking his hair. His head had been resting on her lap.
Connie's breath was caught in his throat. His heart stuttered as he bolted upright. He stared at her in disbelief as if he was looking at a ghost.
