Chapter 9: A new name
He didn't move for a long time, just stood there, half-crouched, surrounded by windless trees. The wind was bristling in the distance, low but heavy.
The burn in his chest had faded, but the hollowness it left behind remained. He could still feel like the sword was still through his gut.
He died, and he was sure of it, yet here he stood. His heartbeat was sluggish, lungs tight, and his bones kept aching like they didn't belong to him anymore.
"Your eyes," Veyla said, "they seem different than before."
He turned his head toward her, "What do you mean by that?"
"They look dull, like they've dimmed out. The ember-like glow from before looks almost faded."
He looked at her in confusion, then walked toward a puddle that was near the shrine. He stared at his reflection and she was right. The faint, ember-orange light that had clung to his pupils when he first awakened... it was a bit dull now. Like someone had turned down the fire in them.
"What do you mean?" he asked, even though he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Veyla sheathed her blade, her expression now unreadable. "It means you gave something for life."
She stepped closer, her voice lower. "Some things the world forgets, some things it takes away."
His fingers twitched slightly. "I still don't understand how I'm alive."