"Ugh," Ryan groaned, gritting his teeth as a searing pain pierced through his skull. It was as if someone had slammed his head with a sledgehammer. Every pulse of pain felt like a drumbeat in his mind, unrelenting and maddening.
'Calm down, Ryan,' he heard a voice whisper in his mind.
It was Nelia.
Slowly, the overwhelming pain began to dissipate.
Ryan sighed heavily as the tension eased from his body. He opened his eyes sluggishly, blinking against the dim light that filled the room. His vision was still blurry, and everything around him felt surreal, like a waking dream. Then, without warning, he felt something press against his chest. His body reacted instinctively; his hand shot out and caught whatever it was.
"Kya!" a high-pitched squeak startled him. His blurry vision began to clear, revealing a purple-haired girl with wide, startled eyes staring back at him.
