Lloyd's breathing was heavy—his chest rising and falling in sharp, rhythmic bursts, a clear sign of the exhaustion plaguing his body.
His stamina was returning, but at a painfully slow rate. Worse still, the integration he had just undergone felt as though it was peeling the very fabric of his soul from his control—bit by bit, like a thread unraveling from a worn cloak.
If things continued at this rate, he was certain of his fate: he would either die from the overwhelming strain or become easy prey for any creature lurking in the shadows, waiting for a weakened target to devour.
Luckily, Silver had rushed to his side. Already reverted back to her human form, she knelt beside him and placed both hands on his back, her palms emitting a soft glow as she initiated the healing process.
Warmth surged through Lloyd's body. It wasn't just the physical pain that began to ebb away, but the internal struggle of integration that also felt momentarily subdued.
