Then… pain.
A sharp sting at the side of his neck.
His vision blurred. His limbs felt heavy.
Poison? Wolfsbane?
No.
His grip weakened. His knees buckled.
No. No. NO!
The world spun violently as darkness clawed at the edges of his mind. He fought against it, against the pull of unconsciousness, but it was useless.
The last thing he saw before everything faded was the masked figure standing over him. Watching.
Then… nothing.
--
Pain. A deep, pulsing pain.
Kaius' head felt like it had been split open, the throbbing ache radiating from his skull down to his spine. His body was leaden, heavy with exhaustion, yet there was something worse, an insidious nausea curling in his gut, threatening to spill out.
His throat was dry, his mouth tasted of iron.
With an effort, he forced his ey
