Kain blinked against the haze clouding his vision, momentarily disoriented as he adjusted to the present. The dim light of the awakening chamber flickered faintly above, casting long shadows against the metallic walls.
The muffled sounds of groaning and shifting bodies echoed through the chamber, signs that the others were beginning to stir. Malzahir remained unconscious, his breathing steady but deep—clearly not ready to rejoin the waking world just yet.
Jax, Lira, Miya, and Garret groaned softly as their consciousness returned, sitting upright on their respective chairs. Darius stood beside them, barely able to contain the bright-eyed excitement etched into his face. He shifted between them like a child waiting for presents to be unwrapped, clearly thrilled at the prospect of seeing the results of their contracts.
