Bab 54: The ceremonial preparation...

Lyla.

When I woke again, I was still at Xander's house and had lost track of time.

My eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dim lighting of the room, my body was too weak to move, too weak to fight anymore. Although Xander was not in the room with me, I could feel his presence. I noticed the soft towel resting on the chair beside my bed.

"How long have I been out?" I murmured to myself trying to sit up.

What was I supposed to do now?

My mind replayed the events of the last few hours, trying to make sense of everything. Xander's confession about being the Dark One, his insistence that he didn't want my powers but wanted me – how could any of this be real? And yet, deep down, some part of me felt there was an element of truth in it all.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to stay calm. There had to be a way out of this. There had to be some way I could escape and return to the life I had once known, even if it meant running forever.