Sage lay on the bed for what felt like an eternity. Time blurred, and the minutes slipped away into obscurity. Initially, chaos reigned, panic clawed at his chest, thoughts collided in a frenzy, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out everything else.
Yet fear, no matter how intense, could not sustain itself indefinitely. Like a fire deprived of oxygen, it gradually faded, leaving behind only warmth, ash… and clarity.
When he finally became aware of his surroundings again, the gentle rustle of curtains, the muffled sounds from the Guild below, and the steady rhythm of his own breathing, his mind had already surged ahead of his body.
He was no longer in a state of panic; he was strategizing. Every potential consequence had been examined. Every immediate threat had been mapped out.
