Melisa woke up with a start, sweat beading on her forehead and her heart pounding.
In her dream, she'd been back in that bar, facing down Koros. Only this time, when Vira stepped between them, Melisa hadn't stopped her spell. The ice needles had torn through both of them, and Vira's shocked, betrayed expression as she fell-
"No, no, that's enough of that," Melisa mumbled.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Sunlight made its way through her bedroom window, not quite caring about her internal struggles.
With a groan, Melisa swung her legs off the bed. Her muscles protested, still sore from the fight. She'd healed herself up and yet she swore there was still a cut on her arm somehow.
"At least I'm alive," she muttered, pulling on her academy uniform mechanically. "Which is more than I can say for what would have happened if Koros had his way."
