Eden stirred, his body aching as consciousness returned in slow, torturous waves. The world around him felt heavier, as if it were pressing down on his chest. His breath hitched as he blinked his eyes open, his vision swimming. A fire crackled in front of him, its warm, amber glow licking at the night air.
The flames swayed gently, casting fleeting shadows on the ground. Embers floated upward, disappearing into the dark void of a starless sky. The soft rustling of leaves in the breeze was the only sound aside from the crackling wood. It was strangely peaceful, yet it didn't match the chaos he remembered.
