As Zion properly woke up, an immense pain flooded his system.
The pain was everywhere, as if his body had been crushed, then forced back into shape.
'…Alive?' he thought, forcing his eyes open.
A shadow moved above him, no longer blocking the bright light from the center of the room.
Zion groaned, trying to block the light… but his arms didn't respond.
'What's… happening?' he thought, his mind still hazy. 'Why can't I move?'
That's when a girl entered his vision, standing over him with a smile. As she leaned closer to his face, dark-brown hair spilled over her shoulders.
"Don't panic," she said gently. "I've numbed most of your body to make the pain bearable."
The words took a moment to register.
'Numbed?'
Zion's memories of the fight slowly returned, forcing him to remember the pain, heat, and pressure.
[Welcome back, host,] Uriel's voice suddenly echoed through his mind. [We've survived… albeit barely.]
