'Okay… first thing I need to do is heal this broken mess of a body,' Leo thought, his jaw clenched tight as he wiggled weakly on the straw-lined floor, each twitch shooting sparks of pain up and down his spine.
He couldn't sit up. Couldn't roll over. Could barely breathe without it feeling like a knife was stabbing through his ribs.
But that didn't stop him from trying.
He twisted his torso half an inch at a time, letting out small, controlled exhales as he moved— slow enough to avoid drawing attention, but just fast enough to keep himself from blacking out again.
'Come on… come on… it should still be there.'
His chest burned. His back screamed. But his fingers eventually brushed against something solid, something familiar.
The cold, unassuming shape of his spatial ring, still tucked beneath the fabric of his robes, right over his heart.
'Good… it's still here! Thank the stars.'
He didn't allow himself a smile.
Not yet.
Because finding it was one thing.
Getting it out?
