Chapter 15: Rebirth II
Some time later, Fenric stirred.
The faint light of morning filtered through the tall arched windows, casting silver streaks across the floor. The pain was gone—at least the constant, clawing agony he had lived with with for months since he have arrived in the body. In its place was a dull ache, like the soreness after surviving a long, brutal battle. And in a way, he had.
Slowly, he sat up.
His breath caught slightly—not from pain, but from anticipation. He looked down and saw that at some point during the night, the armor had receded entirely. The gem on his bow tie had dulled, its magic spent. The enchanted suit—his crutch, his burden, his salvation—was gone.
And so was everything else.
He was naked, the armor having melded back into ether, leaving him bare. But strangely, he didn't care. For once, the cold against his skin wasn't unbearable—it felt real, alive.
Fenric sat still for a long moment, just breathing.
Then, he shifted his legs.
No chains held him. No metallic exoskeleton guided his motions. He braced himself against the edge of the bed, took a shaky breath, and pushed.
His feet touched the floor.
He wobbled, muscles unsure, knees trembling from disuse... but he stood.