Don's eyes snapped open.
He was breathing hard, chest rising and falling unevenly as air rushed back into his lungs. His vision blurred for a second before stabilizing, the world coming back into focus in pieces.
Something warm touched his lip.
He wiped at it.
Blood.
He hadn't even noticed himself biting down.
"…What the hell…"
His voice came out low, strained.
"Don! Don!"
Elle again.
Clearer now.
"Are you okay? We're picking up strange activity all across the city!"
Winter followed immediately after.
"The lab systems detected the same signal," she said, tone controlled. "However, it was significantly dampened here. The structure absorbed most of it. It appears the effect was directed primarily at external targets."
Don pushed himself up.
Slowly.
His body felt heavier for a second, like something hadn't fully let go yet. He wiped the blood from his lip again, eyes scanning the area around him.
Everything had changed.
Even in those few seconds.
"…It felt like—"
