Sage felt a chill wash over him as his gaze locked onto the silver blade hovering just inches from his neck. The edge was so close that he could sense its lethal intent pressing against his skin, like a whisper of death.
In that moment, time seemed to fracture. The chaos of the battlefield faded into a distant blur as his senses narrowed inward, leaving only one thought echoing in his mind with terrifying clarity.
"Am I going to die again?"
As memories surged unbidden, they collided violently within him. He saw flashes of his previous life on Earth, sterile hospital lights reflecting off the cold, unmoving body of his sister. Her lifeless expression was etched into his memory with brutal permanence; he felt the helpless rage,guilt and hollow grief of that moment all over again.
