Ezra staggered out of the reception hall, each step feeling heavier than the last. The air of the hotel was cool against his skin, but it did little to soothe the storm raging inside of him.
Valaren's roar echoed in his mind, the dragon's fury a constant pressure that threatened to overwhelm him.
He walked briskly, trying to maintain his composure. The bright lights of the hotel blurred around him, his vision swimming as he fought to keep control. He jabbed at the elevator, trying to remember where he parked his car. It felt like an eternity before the elevator arrived and he stumbled inside. Each step was a battle, his vitality being tugged and pulled by the furious dragon.
When Ezra reached his car, his fingers fumbled with the car keys, his usually steady hands shaking. He finally managed to unlock the door and collapsed into the driver's seat, slamming the door shut behind him. The silence inside the car was deafening, only the sound of his ragged breaths filling the space.
