Morning arrived in slow, creeping waves.
Liria stirred beneath the covers, the soft weight of the blankets pressing down like a barrier between her and the waking world. The air was still cool from the night, the pale light of dawn filtering through the curtains in thin slivers. It should have been peaceful. A moment of quiet after the chaos of the dungeon, a well-earned rest.
But something was off.
Her body felt… different. Not just sore, though the deep ache of battle lingered in her muscles. There was a heaviness beneath her skin, a quiet hum in her bones, like something vast and unseen coiled inside her, waiting.
She inhaled deeply, but the scent of the morning air normally crisp, tinged with the faint traces of old parchment and the distant spice of the academy's kitchens seemed duller somehow. Muted. As if the world had lost just a fraction of its color.
Liria frowned and sat up, running a hand through her hair. Her fingers trembled slightly.
