Satou's eyes snapped open, and he gasped violently, his body convulsing as his consciousness slammed back into physical form. The transition from dream realm to reality was jarring, disorienting, like falling from a great height and hitting solid ground.
The first thing he saw was faces hovering over him—concerned, tearful, desperate faces that he recognized immediately.
Lyra. Jessica. Seraphine. Morgana. Cassius. Loki.
All of them gathered around his bed, all of them watching him with expressions ranging from relief to exhaustion to barely controlled emotion.
"Satou!" Jessica's voice broke on his name, and before he could even process what was happening, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a crushing embrace. "You're awake! Thank the gods, you're actually awake!"
