Azriel's eyes opened to the sight of the sun, bright and clear, shining through a grey sky.
"I am back...?"
Feeling the cold pavement beneath him, Azriel tried to rise, but his body had grown impossibly heavy. He struggled for a moment, groaning, before he finally managed to push himself into a seated position.
He touched his chin and looked around him, and the first thing to meet his eyes was dried blood, all of it his own. Looking down at his chest, he found a hole torn through his uniform, baring his skin, which was crusted with more of the same. Then he heard it, the steady thump of his own heartbeat, and he let out a sigh of relief. His heart had returned to him.
"Can I help you wash the blood away?"
The voice was excited, a little too excited for such words, and it rang out directly in front of him. Azriel's head snapped toward its source, and his eyes went wide.
