For several long seconds, there was only silence.
The training facility was covered in dust.
Cracks ran across the reinforced floor where the magic circle had once been. The glowing runes embedded in the walls flickered weakly, their light unstable after the explosion. Damaged training equipment lay scattered across the room, while strands of crimson, gold, and pale-blue mana drifted through the air like dying embers.
Arthur's eyes slowly fluttered open.
The first thing he felt was pain.
A sharp, throbbing ache spread through his back, shoulders, and head.
"Ah... what the hell happened?"
He winced and slowly pushed himself off the ground.
His body protested immediately.
Arthur pressed a hand against his forehead and took a deep breath. His vision was still blurry, and every muscle in his body felt as though it had been torn apart and put back together incorrectly.
Then the memories returned.
Athena's blood.
The unbearable hunger.
His loss of control.
