#Chapter 252: Eyes open

Alexander I remember hearing Kayden’s blessedly familiar voice, but it was distant and echoey. I couldn’t make out what he was saying. It was a whisper, I thought at first. But no—he was just very far away. He was shouting… but he was too far off for me to hear. I tried to reply, but couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even move my lips. I couldn’t even open my eyes. I really tried to pry them open. It was nothing doing. I had no strength left in my body. Not even enough to lift my eyelids. I wanted so badly to wake up. To get up. To keep fighting. But I was just so tired, so very, very tired. And cold. And sore. And… numb… And then, all of a sudden, a white-hot, shocking blast of extreme pain wrenched me all the way awake and I was all at once completely, agonizingly aware of reality. Reality right now was pain and movement and noise and light and more pain. It was difficult to make sense of the sudden, intense sensations that overwhelmed me all at once, but I worked through it. I coul