Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Close

Asher's consciousness returned slowly, his mind piecing together his surroundings bit by bit. He was lying on a small, plain bed in a room lit by faint daylight filtering through wooden slats. The first thing that caught his attention was the tight bandages wrapped around his torso and arms. 

'Bandages?' he thought, his brows knitting in confusion. He flexed his fingers, testing his limbs. They ached but responded as they should. 'Was I unconscious?' 

Memories of the battle flashed back: pushing himself beyond his limits, the overwhelming strain of his depleted Aura. 'I guess that would make sense,' he mused. 'I went all out.'

He began peeling the bandages away, wincing as the material tugged at sensitive skin. His body was battered, but the worst of his injuries had already started to mend.