Three hours had passed. Jun-ho slowly stirred, confusion clouding his senses. He found himself in an unfamiliar place, his blurred eyes struggling to focus while his mind still fought to process what had just happened. His body felt heavy, as if even breathing demanded more effort than usual. Muscles ached, like he had been running for hours without stopping, and a light pressure pulsed in his head, the lingering buzz of the substance that had hit him.
Then, his vision adjusted, and when he looked to the side, there was Salin, right next to him, breathing peacefully. His heart skipped, but not from fear or panic this time. It was relief. A relief so overwhelming it almost made him forget the pain, the confusion, the shock. The safety Salin radiated made all the tension melt away, like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself recalibrate as he tried to regain control of his own body.
