Neverwinter Forest May I stand unshaken

for @Solharr @Callyope

A dull throbbing pain radiated from his side, a sharp, insistent ache that felt as though something had torn into him—deep, savage. He felt cold, a chill that settled deep in his bones, rattling his teeth. He opened his eyes, but the world around him was a blur of shadows and dim light, the edges of his reality wavering like smoke.

His mouth was dry, an acrid taste of bile and blood clinging to his tongue. His throat burned as he tried to swallow, but nothing came—only the hollow ache of thirst.

Pain surged through him, sharp and jagged, pulling him back to the present. A gash tore deep into his side, its raw edges exposed. Torn flesh, muscle.

His vision swam as he weakly tried to rise, his legs unsteady, trembling beneath him. The world tilted, spinning away from him, and he collapsed back down with a groan, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Somewhere in the blur, a figure moved, a presence near him. Then, a voice. Another voice. Two voices. His eyelids fluttered weakly as he drifted back to unconsciousness.