Within the confines of a small room, a boy's fingers twitched.
His crimson hair clung against his forehead in light sweat, and his breathing was even.
His eyelids fluttered, then squeezed shut as dim light assaulted his senses. Despite the faint glow, it felt overwhelming, like needles pricking at his retinas.
A dull ache throbbed through his body, though his brain had yet to fully register the pain.
Too many sensations bombarded him at once, and his mind struggled to process them all, slowing the transmission to prevent an overload.
Everything felt sluggish. Even his thoughts lagged behind... if he could even have any at this moment. It was like a broken clock trying to catch up to time.
With great effort, he lifted his arms, unaware of how much strength it took. His fingers fumbled, instinctively pushing away the white blanket draped over him.
He pressed his hands against the side of his head, trying to soothe the dull, persistent ache that was only now making itself known.
