Chapter 51 - 50: The Cell
Cold metal pressed against Leon’s cheek. The taste of copper filled his mouth, blood from wounds that had reopened during transport. His eyelids felt heavy, weighted down by exhaustion that went deeper than physical fatigue.
The battlefield stretched around him like a graveyard. Scorched stone cracked in where Tobias’s flames had burned too hot. Twisted metal from destroyed equipment lay scattered among what remained of Association containment barriers. Bodies laid around, some reduced to ash, others simply still.
Leon’s consciousness flickered between awareness and darkness as recovery teams moved through the wreckage.
"Target secured. Vitals stable but weak."
"Mana readings?"
"Completely depleted. Whatever he did to kill Virell, it cost him everything."
Hands lifted Leon onto a stretcher. The motion sent spikes of pain through his ribs, dragging him briefly into wakefulness before the darkness claimed him again.
The transport vehicle’s interior was pure function over form. Black steel walls bore carved runes that hurt to look at directly. The symbols seemed to move when viewed through peripheral vision, creating patterns that made Leon’s temples throb.
He tried to access his system interface. Nothing. The connection that had become as natural as breathing was gone, severed by whatever enchantments surrounded him. Even his bond with his undead felt distant, like trying to hear a whisper through thick glass.