Jin's consciousness didn't return gently. It exploded back into his body like lightning striking water, every nerve screaming as foreign nanites rewrote his cellular structure. His back arched off the medical bed, mouth open in a silent scream as his body fought to understand what was happening.
*"PHOENIX PROTOCOL CRITICAL OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL!"* Asha's voice rang through his mind, no longer the dry, sarcastic AI he knew. She sounded... relieved? *"Jin! Jin, can you hear me? Your systems are—"*
"JIN!"
Three voices cried out in unison. Through his blurred vision, he saw them—Sera, Clara, and Rosa—all leaning over him with tears streaming down their faces. Sera's usual composed mask was completely shattered, her amber eyes red from crying. Clara clutched his hand so tightly her knuckles were white, her whole body trembling. Rosa... Rosa who always joked about everything, who faced death with a grin, was sobbing openly.
