Chapter 125: Rebirth

I drifted gradually up through velvety shadows toward waking, feeling almost reborn. Every muscle ached fiercely, but my spirit felt cleansed by recent trials. We had walked through fire and fury both literal and figurative, somehow emerging intact on redemption's far shore.

With effort I pushed upright, taking in familiar features gathered anxiously around the modest pallet where I had slept. Concern furrowed Sage's brow until she noted my returning gaze.

"Lena! Thank the ancestors." She gripped both my hands urgently. "We feared you might never rouse after expending so much strength against the darkness."

I managed a wan smile, ribs protesting even that small motion. "I yet breathe thanks to your steady watchcare, my friend." My searching look found May and Freya curled together nearby, worry softening into relief. But foreboding still weighted the strained atmosphere. I hesitated before voicing the question that haunted me most. "And Scar? Has there been any change while I drifted