His eyes fluttered for a moment, then consciousness returned violently.
Gabriel dragged in a breath and choked, his lungs spasming as if they had forgotten their purpose. His body jerked upright without coordination, heart slamming hard enough to blur his vision. For several seconds he could not tell where he was or how long he had been gone.
His hands moved before thought.
They pressed against his chest, then his side, then his shoulder. He expected pain. He expected the sharp reminder of injuries that should not have healed.
Nothing answered him.
His breathing slowed as he tested himself again, more deliberately this time. His ribs expanded evenly. His shoulder rotated without resistance. He shifted his weight and stood, half-expecting his legs to fail.
They did not.
"What was that," he muttered.
The memory surfaced uninvited.
Darkness without shape. A presence that did not explain itself. "Dracamere, complete the trial."
