章 56: The Full Fusion

Note: Please rewrite the previous chapter, it had a little update. 

Asher lay in a sterile, dimly lit room, ensnared by a web of wires and tubes connected to his frail body.

Machines beeped and hummed, their relentless sounds forming a disconcerting backdrop to his suffering. With a tired and pained expression, he slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze shifted to the figure standing beside his bed, a shadowy duplicate of himself. It looked at him with concern etched in its features.

"Are you alright, Asher?" the figure asked in a soft, almost ethereal voice.

Asher mumbled, his voice barely audible, "Everything hurts."

A heavy silence lingered in the room, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the machines. Asher's tired eyes remained locked on the figure by his side.

"Shadow," Asher began, his voice quivering with exhaustion and curiosity, "there's a real chance we might not make it through this. Isn't it time you told me what you truly are?"