My eyes burst open with a heavy gasp. Immediately, hands shot to my chest, expecting the beast's claws to have ripped my heart out, but all I felt was the wetness—sweat, lake water, and my hammering heartbeat.
Slowly, my senses returned. The crackle of a nearby fire, the distant hisses of the night, and the smells of mud, moss, and wet grass mixed with a burning tinge filled my surroundings.
My eyes adjusted to the light, darting left to right until I saw him…
Zephyr.
He was sitting against a tree, his eyes fixed on the sky through the thick canopy of leaves. The firelight highlighted his sharp features, and there was a calmness about him that I couldn't quite place.
"Finally awake, huh?" he remarked, grinning at me. His voice was calm, steady, as if nothing had happened.
I blinked, still dazed, my mind scrambling to catch up. I wasn't dead. Not yet. I was still alive… And he probably saved me.
