Cairen's return to his room was a silent and heavy journey.
Each step echoed the mental exhaustion consuming him.
The scene with Ling, the struggle to restrain her under the extreme strain of the Veil of Blindness and the chain, had taken its toll.
The meal brought by the same servant as always was eaten without him truly tasting it. Yet, he consumed it all quickly.
Trying to replenish his strength. And then he collapsed onto the bed, sleep taking him almost instantly. It was a deep, dreamless slumber, closer to a faint than to true rest.
At dawn, he woke with his body rejuvenated, though his mind still carried remnants of tension. Without hesitation, ignoring the outside world and the complications Ling brought, Cairen sat on the floor.
Then he once again immersed himself in the technique Embrace of the Deep Ocean.
