The room hadn't really changed much when Aris came to again. His consciousnesses came in droves as always, the feeling of touch first, then his hearing, then his vision, his awareness and finally, his connection with mana itself.
Surprisingly enough, he was feeling somewhat rested.
This was suspicious, off putting, even.
He lay still for a moment, cataloguing the room the way he catalogued everything, though slower this time with the grogginess of deep sleep still clinging to him. Methodically, without moving, he let his awareness expand before his body committed to being awake. The mana in the space had settled overnight into something calmer, the agitated density of the previous evening smoothed out the way turbulent water smoothed after the thing disturbing it had stopped. The medical equipment beside Regulus's bed ticked in its steady rhythm. The curtain was still drawn.
He turned his head.
