David trudged wearily back to his room, wiping his face with a damp cloth. The training session had revealed far more than he'd anticipated—both about his newfound rank and the concerning progression of the dimensional fractures.
His muscles ached, but it was the lingering pain behind his eyes that truly concerned him. Each glitch left a residual discomfort, like the memory of pain etched into his nerves.
He fumbled with the key Yue had given him earlier, his mind still cataloging the day's discoveries. The door swung open with a creak, and David stepped inside, already shrugging off his outer garment.
"What—"
A startled gasp cut through the room.
David froze mid-step, his exhaustion instantly forgotten as his gaze fell upon Elara, half-wrapped in a bedsheet, her hair still damp from a recent bath. Droplets of water glistened on her bare shoulders, catching the lamplight.
