Chapter 130
The roar did not belong to anything nearby.
It came from deep within the Draconian Mountain Range, far beyond the visible cliffs, beyond the misted peaks where even light seemed to thin out. But its sound carried unnaturally well, rolling through the valleys like a physical force.
It wasn't just loud.
It was angry.
Pure, uncontrolled rage layered with something older underneath it, something that made the stone itself feel uneasy.
Even the massive Draconian Behemoths reacted.
Their calm, passive posture shifted. One lifted its head. Another turned slightly toward the direction of the roar. No panic, but clear alertness. Their glowing blue eyes dimmed and sharpened at the same time, as if listening to a threat only they could fully understand.
Nille's breathing slowed.
His body was still far from healed.
Hyde's support kept his ribs aligned and prevented internal collapse, but the damage was not gone. It was still there, fractures, torn pathways, disrupted spiritual flow. His recovery was ongoing, not complete. Every movement reminded him of that.
Nyx immediately ran a fast recalculation.
"Healing progress: 27% structural recovery."
A pause.
"Full combat readiness: not achievable within current time window."
Hyde's voice followed, quieter than before.
"If another high-tier engagement occurs now, survival probability drops below 15%."
Nille closed his eyes for a moment.
"…So I can't fight."
Nyx answered without hesitation.
"Correct."
The roar echoed again.
Closer this time in perception—not physically, but spiritually. Like the mountain itself was amplifying it.
The air pressure shifted.
Dust along the ground trembled without wind.
Something was moving.
Something large enough to make even level 600 Draconian Behemoths stay cautious.
Nille slowly forced himself upright, one hand pressing against the cracked stone beside him. Pain flared instantly through his torso, but he didn't collapse.
He looked toward the direction of the roar.
"…That's not normal," he said quietly.
Nyx agreed.
"Confirmed. That energy signature is unstable and highly aggressive. It is not a natural behavioral response."
Hyde added a more urgent layer.
"If that entity enters this zone, we cannot guarantee survival even with the new ARCA improvements, as you still need to learn it "
Nille's expression tightened slightly.
So rest was not an option anymore.
The mountains had already decided otherwise.
Another distant roar echoed, shaking loose small rocks from the cliffs above. One of the Draconian Behemoths stepped back half a pace, not fleeing, but adjusting position, like it was preparing for something it could not fully ignore.
Nille exhaled slowly.
"…Then we leave."
Nyx paused.
"Gate usage confirmed?"
Nille nodded faintly.
It was the only option left.
His healing was not fast enough. Staying here meant waiting for whatever was coming to arrive first, and in his current state, even observing it might be fatal.
Hyde shifted slightly within the Celestial Cloth, stabilizing Nille's center of gravity.
"Gate coordinates?" Hyde asked.
Nyx already had them prepared.
"Rune Forge underground sub-basement."
Nille's voice was barely above a whisper.
The Gate responded immediately.
The space around him folded inward—stone, wind, and mountain pressure collapsing into a thin line of distortion. Behind him, the Draconian Behemoths remained still, watching the mountain range instead of him, as if whatever was roaring deeper within the peaks mattered more than anything else that existed.
Another roar echoed.
Closer in feeling.
He didn't wait.
Hyde stabilized his body as the Gate fully opened, the two remaining retractable arms locking into nearby stone for leverage. With controlled force, they pulled Nille forward through the spatial tear.
The world inverted.
Cold mountain air vanished.
Pressure disappeared.
Then—
Impact.
Nille reappeared inside the Rune Forge network, the underground sub-basement snapping back into reality around him like a sealed chamber reopening.
The first thing he saw was movement.
Large containers of raw material being transported through an anchored Gate system nearby. Rune Forge workers were operating in organized shifts—moving crates, stabilizing mana conduits, and inspecting incoming supplies. The entire facility was alive with controlled industrial activity, lit by steady rune-lamps embedded into the stone walls.
The anchor gate he had used was not small—it was part of a larger logistical system. Goods, weapons components, and raw enchanted materials flowed through it in measured intervals, appearing and disappearing as different nodes connected across the network.
For a moment, no one noticed him.
Or maybe they pretended not to.
Because Nille looked like someone who had barely survived something that should have killed him.
Hyde slowly released tension from the retractable arms, lowering him carefully onto a quieter section near the back of the sub-basement. Away from the main personnel paths. Away from noise. Away from attention.
Nille leaned against the cold stone wall, breathing uneven.
The Gate behind him sealed shut with a soft distortion pulse, like reality stitching itself back together.
Silence returned.
The underground hum of Rune Forge machinery replaced the roar of the mountains. It was steady, controlled, familiar—but it felt distant, like it belonged to another life entirely.
Nyx spoke first inside his mind.
"You are in a controlled industrial safe zone."
A pause.
"Threat level: currently low."
Hyde adjusted Nille's internal stabilization field.
"Healing can continue here without immediate interruption."
Nille didn't answer right away.
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his back rest fully against the stone.
The pain was still there.
Not as sharp as before—but constant, layered under everything.
"…Good," he muttered quietly. "Just… let me be here for a while."
Nyx didn't argue.
For once, she simply continued monitoring quietly, recording residual damage patterns, reconstructing what had been learned from the mountain engagement.
Around him, Rune Forge personnel continued moving through the main routes of the sub-basement. Voices echoed faintly in the distance. Metal clanked. Runes pulsed steadily across reinforced walls.
No one disturbed his corner.
No one asked questions.
And for a brief moment, it almost felt like he had escaped the chaos.
But Nyx's voice returned after a few seconds—lower now, more serious.
"Nille."
He opened his eyes slightly.
"…Yeah?"
A pause.
Then—
"We need to talk about what you encountered in the Draconian Range."
Hyde's presence tightened subtly, as if agreeing without words.
Because even here, deep underground, inside a controlled forge system, surrounded by human industry
what roared in the mountains was still echoing in their memory.
Nille exhaled slowly, his body finally giving in to the weight he had been ignoring.
"…I am tired," he said quietly. "Like my entire energy was depleted. Resting here is the best place I could be right now."
The words were simple, but the meaning behind them was heavy.
His head tilted back against the cold stone wall of the Rune Forge sub-basement. The steady hum of machinery filled the space around him—mana conduits pulsing, crates shifting, distant footsteps echoing through reinforced tunnels. It was organized noise. Controlled life. Something stable enough that his mind didn't need to fight it.
But his body still did.
Every breath reminded him of the mountain pass.
Every heartbeat carried the echo of Elarisse's strikes.
Hyde remained partially extended, the last two functional retractable arms still supporting his posture. The Celestial Cloth subtly adjusted around his torso, distributing pressure away from the most damaged regions.
Nyx did not interrupt immediately.
She simply observed.
Then, softly:
"Acknowledged."
A pause.
"Recovery state prioritized. External threat response temporarily disabled."
Hyde lowered his output further, easing the strain on Nille's nervous system.
"Stabilization mode engaged. You will not be forced into movement unless critical danger is detected."
For the first time since the battle, the tension in Nille's body loosened slightly.
Not gone.
Just… reduced.
He closed his eyes again.
The warmth of controlled underground air replaced the freezing mountain wind. The harsh pressure of the Draconian Range was gone, replaced by something predictable. Even the faint smell of metal, oil, and rune-infused stone felt grounding in comparison.
For a few seconds, there was only silence inside his mind.
Then Nyx spoke again—but not with urgency.
With analysis.
"Your exhaustion is not only physical."
Nille didn't respond, but she continued anyway.
"Your spiritual pathways were forced into repeated collapse cycles during the engagement. Combined with cognitive overload from ARCA instability, your system is currently in a forced recovery lock."
Hyde added quietly.
"In simpler terms… you were pushed past your limit."
" not my limit, mybe i didnt expect to see her again in a different scenario i was hoping to see"
Nille gave a faint, tired breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"…Yeah. I noticed."
Silence returned again.
The distant movement of Rune Forge workers continued around them, but no one approached his corner. Whether out of nobody notice him yet, but this alone time is what he exactly what he had asked for.
Nille shifted slightly, wincing as pain flickered through his ribs.
Still, he didn't move away from the wall.
"…Just a little rest," he murmured. "That's all I need right now."
Nyx didn't promise anything beyond that.
Hyde simply maintained support.
And for the first time since the mountains… there was no immediate roar waiting to interrupt him.
Only the steady rhythm of a forge that kept the world running, while Nille finally allowed himself to stop.
When Nille finally woke, the first thing he felt was silence.
Not the harsh silence of battle or the heavy silence of the mountains, but something softer. Controlled. Safe, when he remembers he entered the rune forge sub basements and lost consciousness.
He now was laying on a simple bed inside what looked like a temporary room carved from reinforced stone and wooden panels. Rune-lamps glowed gently along the ceiling, casting warm light across neatly arranged furniture.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then he noticed someone adjusting a small table near the corner.
Nhulla.
She was quietly organizing the room, aligning chairs, fixing a small shelf, making the space feel less like a medical station and more like an actual living area. Everything she touched was arranged with careful precision.
Nille slowly sat up.
That was when he noticed something strange.
His clothes were different.
Clean.
Replaced.
A simple, neutral set of Rune Forge garments had been given to him. His old outfit—torn, burned, and stained from the mountain battle, was folded neatly on the side table beside the bed.
Even from here, he could still see the damage in it. Fractures in fabric. Burn marks. Signs of how close he had been to not returning at all.
A second presence caught his attention.
Lin Yue.
She was sitting beside the bed, casually peeling an apple with a small knife. Calm. Unbothered, as if this kind of situation was something she had dealt with many times before.
She was talking to Nhulla about something lightly, until Nille shifted.
Both of them stopped immediately.
Their attention turned toward him.
He had woken up.
Lin Yue blinked once.
The tension in her shoulders eased almost immediately, like she had been holding her breath for hours without realizing it.
"…Oh," she said softly.
A small pause followed, her eyes lingering on him a little longer than necessary.
"You're finally awake."
Her voice wasn't just relief, it carried something quieter underneath. Something she had been trying to hide but failed to fully bury.
Worry.
Deep, lingering worry that only now had a chance to release itself.
She set the apple knife down more carefully than before, as if even the sound might disturb him. For a moment, she didn't tease, didn't joke, didn't act casual like usual.
She just looked at him.
Like she was confirming he was really there.
Really alive.
"…You gave us quite a scare, you know," she added gently, her tone softening even further. "Don't do that again."
Nille rubbed his forehead slightly, still processing where he was.
"…What's going on?" he asked.
Lin Yue glanced at Nhulla first, then back at him.
"Alright," she said, continuing calmly, "a staff member found you slumped in the corner of the sub-basement where the gate was located."
She paused for a moment, as if remembering the panic that followed.
"They panicked after realizing who you were."
Nille frowned slightly.
Lin Yue continued.
"They immediately called for the Head Merchant, Rume Ironbark."
At the mention of the name, Nhulla gave a small nod while still adjusting a chair nearby, confirming silently.
Lin Yue peeled another slice of apple and continued in the same steady tone.
"Rume Ironbark personally came down and had you moved to the Rune Forge temporary shelter. After checking your condition, he insisted you be placed under care immediately."
Nille slowly looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers slightly. His body still felt heavy, but the sharp edges of pain had dulled.
Lin Yue tilted her head slightly.
"And then Ms. Nhulla here informed me shortly after."
Nhulla finally spoke, her voice calm but firm.
"You were in no condition to remain in an industrial sub-basement. Your recovery needed stability."
Lin Yue nodded slightly in agreement.
"And when Rume Ironbark learned your dorm room had been destroyed in the earlier incident… and that you currently had no proper place to stay…"
She paused, glancing around the room.
"They decided to assign you here temporarily."
Nille blinked slowly.
"…Here?"
Lin Yue gave a small shrug, as if it were obvious.
"Rune Forge temporary shelter quarters. Safe zone. Quiet. No active operations nearby."
Nhulla finished adjusting the furniture and finally turned toward him.
"You are not being detained," she said simply. "You are being accommodated."
Lin Yue added lightly, almost teasing but not unkind.
"Until you decide what to do next. On your own terms."
Nille leaned back slightly against the bed frame, quietly taking in the unfamiliar calm of the room. Soft rune-light warmed the stone walls, and the faint scent of clean cloth and fruit lingered in the air.
His old clothes were folded neatly on the side table, replaced with fresh ones prepared while he slept. It was a simple gesture, but it made everything feel strangely real, like he had been carefully brought back from somewhere far away.
He exhaled slowly.
"…I didn't expect this," he muttered.
Lin Yue gave a small, almost teasing sigh, though her eyes softened as she looked at him.
"You also don't expect anything good to happen to you, do you?" she said lightly.
Nhulla glanced over at her, unimpressed.
Lin Yue ignored the look completely.
Instead, she picked up a small plate of sliced apples and scooted closer to the bed.
Without asking, she held a fork up and gently offered him a piece.
"Eat," she said simply.
Nille hesitated for a second, then leaned forward and accepted it.
Lin Yue's expression softened a little as she watched him.
"Slowly," she added, almost automatically, like she had said it many times before. Then, after a brief pause, she added in a quieter tone, "You're allowed to rest, you know."
Another slice of apple followed, this time she didn't even wait for him to reach for it. She just brought it up carefully, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, feeding him without making it feel strange.
And then, just as gently,
"You're not made of stone," she said, voice lightly scolding but warm underneath. "Stop acting like you can handle everything alone."
Nille blinked at her.
She didn't look away.
Instead, she held another piece of apple near his mouth again, waiting patiently, her expression a mix of quiet concern and something almost protective.
Nhulla, watching from the side, shook her head slightly but said nothing.
The room stayed calm.
Ordinary.
Safe.
Lin Yue finally leaned back a little, though she still kept the plate within reach.
"Good," she murmured when he ate again, as if approving him. "At least you can listen when you want to."
A small pause.
Then softer, almost under her breath:
"…Don't scare people like that again, okay?"
Lin Yue kept the fork steady for a moment longer than she needed to.
Then her hand trembled.
Just slightly at first, barely noticeable.
But Nille felt it.
He looked up.
Lin Yue quickly turned her face away, as if something in the room had suddenly become too bright. Her fingers tightened around the fork, trying to keep her usual calm expression in place… but it didn't hold.
A breath slipped out of her, uneven.
And then another.
Before she could stop it, tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.
She tried to laugh it off.
"…Tch," she whispered softly, annoyed at herself. "This is embarrassing."
But her voice cracked anyway.
The fork lowered slowly onto the plate, forgotten.
Nhulla paused in the background, noticing immediately but choosing not to interrupt.
Lin Yue wiped her face quickly with the back of her hand, but the tears kept coming anyway—quiet, unsteady, like they had been waiting too long to be held back.
"You" she started, then stopped.
She swallowed.
Then looked at him properly this time.
Her eyes weren't teasing anymore.
They were shaken.
Relieved.
And deeply afraid of what she almost lost.
"You really have no idea," she said softly, voice trembling, "how scary it is to see you like that…"
She tried to steady herself again, but failed halfway through.
So she did something simpler instead.
She reached out and gently held Nille's hand.
Her grip wasn't strong.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was careful, like she was afraid he might disappear if she held too tightly.
And then her voice dropped even lower.
"…Don't do that again," she whispered.
A pause.
Then, more fragile than before:
"Please."
The quiet moment in the room did not last.
A sudden rush of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor outside—fast, uneven, and far too loud for the calm Lin Yue had just managed to build.
The door slid open abruptly.
"Where is he?!"
Head Merchant Rume Ironbark stepped in with urgency written all over his face, his presence filling the small room instantly. His coat was slightly disheveled, as if he had rushed here without even bothering to properly prepare. Concern and responsibility weighed heavily in his expression.
"I was informed he woke up," Rume said quickly, scanning the room. "We need to run a full check immediately. His condition was unstable—there could still be internal—"
The atmosphere changed.
Lin Yue slowly lowered her hand from Nille's.
The warmth in her expression disappeared.
Her eyes shifted toward Rume.
Cold.
Controlled.
Unamused.
A soft wind stirred inside the room.
Not natural air.
Not random movement.
It was pressure—condensed spiritual force tightening the space itself.
Rume's next step stopped mid-motion.
His foot froze in place as if the ground had suddenly become solid lead. The air around him thickened, pressing gently but firmly against his chest and shoulders, forcing him to stand still.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…What is this?" he muttered.
Lin Yue stood from her seat slowly.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"He is resting."
A pause.
Then, slightly sharper:
"You will lower your voice."
The wind tightened.
Not violent, but absolute. Like the room itself was enforcing silence.
Nhulla immediately straightened, sensing the shift in authority and pressure, but did not interfere.
Rume frowned, trying to push forward, but the pressure held him in place without harm, only control.
"Lin Yue," he said carefully, "this is a critical situation. His condition requires immediate assessment"
"No."
The single word cut through the room.
Lin Yue stepped closer, just enough that her presence alone made the air feel heavier.
"You will not rush in here shouting like that again," she said quietly.
A beat.
Then her tone softened slightly, but only in volume, not authority.
"If you are concerned about him… then act like it."
The wind eased just enough for Rume to breathe normally again, but the warning remained clear. One more step out of line, and it would return.
Silence settled.
Rume glanced past her toward Nille, now realizing the situation wasn't just medical, it was personal to those in the room.
He exhaled slowly, lowering his tone.
"…Understood."
Lin Yue didn't immediately relax.
Only after a moment did she glance back toward Nille, her expression softening again as if the previous sharpness had never existed.
But her hand, still faintly raised, remained ready, just in case anyone tried to disturb his rest again.
Nille turned his gaze back to Lin Yue after the room settled again.
"…Thank you," he said softly. "For earlier."
His voice was still weak, but sincere.
Lin Yue didn't answer right away.
She was standing near the bed, her arms loosely crossed, but her expression didn't match her usual calm or teasing tone. There was still something unsettled in her eyes. Even as she tried to hide it, the worry lingered, like she was still seeing him in the condition he had been in before waking up.
She looked away slightly.
"It's nothing," she said, quieter than usual. "Just… don't make people panic like that again."
Her words were light, but her voice wasn't fully steady.
Before Nille could respond, a familiar presence stirred in his mind.
Nyx.
"You are awake and stable," she said.
Nille blinked.
"…Nyx?"
His eyes shifted slightly, confused.
"…You're speaking to me directly?"
There was a pause.
Nille realized something strange.
The Celestial Cloth was no longer on him.
Yet the voice was still there.
Nyx responded calmly.
"Yes."
A brief silence.
Then she continued, more technical.
"The Celestial Cloth you obtained from the buried chamber has been upgraded."
Hyde's presence also flickered faintly in the background, confirming silently.
Nyx explained further.
"Its core function has evolved. It is no longer only an external adaptive defense system."
Another pause.
Nyx's voice remained calm as she continued her explanation.
"It has established a direct link to your main core."
Nille frowned slightly.
"...Main core?"
"Your heart core," Nyx clarified. "The central spiritual engine that regulates your energy circulation and serves as the anchor point of your spiritual existence."
There was a brief pause before she continued.
"The primary law upon which the Celestial Cloth was created remains unchanged. It is fundamentally an energy-based construct designed to fuse with compatible matter and designate that matter as its host."
Nille listened quietly.
Nyx simplified her explanation.
"The Celestial Cloth was never truly ordinary fabric. The physical material merely provides structure and stability. Its true nature is a spiritual construct governed by adaptive laws."
"As long as a suitable anchor exists, the Celestial Cloth can persist, reconstruct itself, and maintain synchronization with its host."
Nille looked at the simple fabric bracelet around his wrist.
"So the bracelet became the new anchor?"
"Correct," Nyx replied. "After the previous host material sustained excessive damage, I transferred the primary Celestial Cloth construct into a smaller, more stable form to preserve its continuity."
Hyde spoke up from within the shared connection.
"In simpler terms, she saved the important part."
Nille tilted his head slightly.
"The important part?"
Nyx answered immediately.
"The primary main law construct."
Then, after a brief pause, she added:
"In mortal terms, I simply preserved the Celestial Cloth's core essence and transferred it into a new host before complete degradation could occur."
Hyde chuckled lightly.
"Think of it like replacing worn-out clothes. The fabric changed, but the person wearing them remained the same."
Nyx corrected him.
"A more accurate comparison would be shedding damaged skin and replacing it with healthy tissue while preserving the original biological functions."
Nille stared at the bracelet for a moment before nodding slowly.
"So the Celestial Cloth itself never disappeared."
"Correct," Nyx confirmed. "Only its previous physical host was lost. The governing laws, adaptive functions, and synchronization protocols remain intact."
Nille gently touched the woven bracelet.
It looked simple.
Ordinary.
Yet beneath its unremarkable appearance existed a spiritual construct older and far more complex than most people could imagine.
Nyx spoke one final time.
"As long as your heart core remains active and the primary construct is preserved, the Celestial Cloth will continue to evolve alongside you."
For some reason, that explanation made Nille feel relieved.
He had not lost the Celestial Cloth.
It had simply adapted.
Just as it always had.
Nille frowned slightly.
"…Main core?"
Nyx clarified.
"Your heart core. The central spiritual engine of your body."
"the one you see whenever you enter the enclave, it no longer just a metaphysical manifestation , its now a real dimensional space that you can use, and will soon can be part of this reality"
" like what some academy professors can do,
As Nille sat quietly on the bed, Nyx's explanation lingered in his thoughts.
The Enclave within him was no longer merely a strange phenomenon unique to his circumstances. In truth, the existence of personal spaces was not unheard of among the Awakened.
Among individuals who had reached a high level of spiritual development—veteran Awakened, renowned professors, accomplished shamans, and exceptional practitioners—the boundaries between mind, soul, and spiritual energy gradually became less distinct. Through years of experience, self-understanding, and mastery over their abilities, some developed what many referred to as Personal Domains or Inner Spaces.
These spaces were reflections of the individual themselves.
For some professors who specialized in spiritual studies and dimensional research, these domains served as controlled environments where they could safely conduct experiments, teach students, or preserve valuable knowledge without affecting the physical world. To them, such spaces represented the culmination of disciplined study and an advanced understanding of spiritual principles. It was proof that their control over their own existence had reached extraordinary levels.
However, shamans viewed these manifestations differently.
To those who walked the path of spirits and ancestral traditions, these domains were far more than advanced techniques or spiritual achievements. They were considered sacred territories of the soul.
A shaman believed that a manifested space reflected a person's innermost nature—their memories, convictions, regrets, and desires woven into a spiritual landscape unique only to them. Some shamans interpreted these spaces as bridges between the mortal world and the spirit realm, places where ancestral spirits could offer guidance, where spiritual contracts were formed, and where the essence of a person's life could be understood.
To a shaman, successfully manifesting such a domain signified spiritual maturity. It meant that one's soul had become stable enough to shape spiritual energy into a reality of its own.
Ordinary people, however, lacked the ability to perceive the deeper significance of these spaces.
Without spiritual sensitivity or awakening, they often struggled to understand what they witnessed. Some dismissed such phenomena as advanced technology or elaborate illusions. Others interpreted them as miracles beyond human comprehension. Even when exposed to these domains, many ordinary individuals could only perceive fragments of what truly existed, their minds instinctively seeking explanations that fit within the limits of their understanding.
The difference in perspective highlighted the divide between those who could interact with the unseen and those who could not.
For the Awakened, personal domains represented mastery.
For shamans, they represented spiritual truth.
For ordinary people, they remained mysteries.
Ultimately, these spaces were not merely displays of power.
They were reflections of identity.
Every structure, landscape, and law governing a manifested domain revealed something about the individual who created it. Their hopes, fears, beliefs, and experiences all became embedded within its foundation.
The Enclave within Nille was no exception.
What had once appeared to be a metaphysical construct born from his own subconscious had gradually evolved into something far more tangible. It reflected not only his growing strength but also the accumulation of his choices, relationships, and struggles.
It was no longer simply a place inside his mind.
It was becoming a true space that existed because of him.
And perhaps, in time, it would stand as undeniable proof of the person Nille had become, and the path he had chosen to follow.
That made Nille go quiet for a moment.
He slowly placed a hand over his chest, as if checking if anything had changed.
He could feel it now.
A faint connection.
Not painful.
Not invasive.
Just… present.
Like something inside him had quietly connected to something beyond him.
Nyx continued in her usual calm tone.
"This upgrade allows communication even without physical integration. As long as the system recognizes you as the host, connection remains active."
Hyde added briefly, more grounded.
"Think of it as permanent synchronization. We are no longer external tools."
Nille exhaled slowly.
"…So you're always connected to me now?"
Nyx answered simply.
"Correct."
A small pause followed.
Lin Yue noticed his silence and tilted her head slightly.
"…Are you okay?" she asked gently.
Nille looked at her, then back down at his hand on his chest.
For the first time since waking up, he wasn't sure whether to feel comforted… or even more aware of how deeply everything had changed.