"R… en…"
"Re… n."
"Ren."
A faint groan escaped Ren's lips.
When his eyes opened, a blinding light stabbed straight into his vision. Pain exploded behind his eyes, forcing him to shut them again immediately. His head throbbed as if it were being crushed from the inside, and the pain spread down his neck and into his body like lightning.
Ren clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the sound rising in his throat.
Then he felt it.
Heat.
An unnatural, burning heat surged through his body, radiating outward from his core. His skin felt like it was on fire, and beneath it, his muscles screamed as if they were being torn apart strand by strand.
His spine pulsed with pain, each wave stronger than the last, blurring his thoughts and stealing his breath.
Why… is my body so hot?
It felt as if he were melting from the inside. His muscles burned and stretched painfully, while his bones felt like they were breaking—then reforming—over and over again.
"AaRRGH!"Ren thrashed instinctively.
