I woke up like a trigger being pulled.
No slow rise. No drifting thoughts. Just open eyes, body snapping upright in a blink.
Instinct kicked in — I reached for the dagger Nova gave me. Gone.
Metal under me. Flat. Seamless. The kind of build you only got when someone cared about function more than aesthetics. Heavy vibration through the floor, steady and low. We were moving. Fast.
The cell was clean. Brutal. Walls welded shut without gaps. No rust. No cracks. Just steel.
I was alone. No Jackal. No Nova. No Reya. For now.
I stood fully, testing the weight in my legs. My body held together fine, not perfect, but enough. Healing had kicked back in somewhere along the ride.
My mana was there too. Faint. Caged. But not gone.
It wasn't fully sealed like it was during the fights with that bastard. What did he call them again? The Great Five. Right.
I pressed a hand against the wall. Cold. Solid. No give anywhere. Just the dull sound of movement stitched deep into the hull.
