'What… happened?'
My thoughts felt sluggish, muddled by the pounding in my skull and the burning pain that rippled through every inch of my body. I tried to piece together what had just happened, but everything felt so distant, so disconnected.
I blinked, trying to clear the haze from my vision, but all I saw was red. Blood smeared across my eyes, dripping down my face. My chest throbbed, every breath shallow and ragged. Flames crackled in the distance, their heat pressing in on me, but none of it made sense. Nothing did.
I looked down at myself—burns and cuts marred my skin, the fabric of my cloak and armor torn to shreds. Blood soaked through my clothes, staining everything dark. My body trembled, my muscles weak and screaming in protest, and then I noticed it—my hand.