Max's breath was heavy, his body trembling from exhaustion, but his eyes burned with a steady light. He had survived. He had endured the pain, the rejection of the universe, and even the wrath of creation itself.
He raised his gaze toward the now-calm sky and whispered under his breath, his voice hoarse. "Damn that was painful!"
Max's chest rose and fell heavily as the golden light faded from his body. His vision trembled, his lungs burned, and his entire body felt like it had been torn apart and then forced back together piece by piece. His skin was covered in cracks that glowed faintly before sealing themselves, and every muscle in his body ached with unbearable soreness.
