Raiden massaged his forehead, teeth clenched in agony. Before he could process his situation, instinct kicked in and he shot to his feet.
His eyes stayed clamped shut. He feared the illusion still held him, that one glimpse of light would send everything spiraling back to the beginning.
But he found it difficult to maintain. His senses were razor-sharp, and though his danger instincts stayed silent, he felt tremors rippling through the earth.
He mellowed his breathing as he tried to grasp his situation, guard still raised, taking measured steps backward.
He allowed the vibrations to thrum beneath him as he listened to the rapid cracking sounds in the distance. He gulped instinctively the moment he realized there were multiples of whatever he faced.
He considered his options. With his danger instincts still quiet, whatever he faced must be something he'd never regarded as a threat.
