The blood in her entire body seemed to surge up at this moment, then suddenly receded from her face, leaving her lips pale. All she saw was a blank snow-like screen, like a TV that's lost signal; she was completely frozen.
"Aldana, Aldana."
Eric's voice came to her ear, and Aldana snapped out of the buzzing noise in her mind. She was still standing there, held in Eric's embrace by one arm. In her blurry vision, she saw Eric's furrowed brow and worried gaze. He shouted sharply by her ear: "Breathe deeply!"
Following his command instinctively, she opened her mouth wide and took a deep breath. Her lungs, feeling like they were about to explode, suddenly got a rush of oxygen, and her frozen brain seemed to come back to life in an instant. "What happened to me..." she thought vaguely, trying to stand steadily but realizing her legs were too weak to support her weight. The smell of blood in the air made her stomach churn; she felt a bit nauseous.
