Maximus woke up slowly from the unintended loss of consciousness.
His eyelids felt heavy and sticky from the tears he had shed earlier.
His head throbbed with residual pain, and he clutched it with one hand and forced himself to sit up on the couch beneath before letting out a low groan.
As his vision cleared, seven distinct figures came into focus, sitting close together on one side of the room and silently watching him.
Their faces were tense, some worried, some irritated, and some simply curious.
"What the hell…?" Maximus muttered in a muffled voice, but as the words left his mouth, memories rushed back into his mind, and his expression stiffened.
He tried to stand up abruptly, and panic flashed across his face again.
But before he could take even a single step, the large hand of Galeion pressed firmly against his shoulder and forced him to sit back down.
"Calm down, Maximus ", Leila said in a firm tone which did not sound harsh.
