More Free Chapters
Kael groaned as he forced his eyes open. Sunlight spilled across the room, sharp enough to make him squint. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes, slow but persistent, like something was drilling into his skull. "I feel like shit…" His voice came out dry. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling before his gaze slowly drifted across the room. It wasn't anything special. Just a regular bedroom. A bed, a wardrobe tucked into the corner, and at the far end, a sleek gaming setup that looked far more expensive than everything else combined. The rest of the room told a different story, though... Clothes were flung across the floor. Snack wrappers littered the desk and corners. An old pizza box sat open near the wall, the smell faint but unpleasant enough to linger in the air. Kael groaned again as a sharp pain shot through his head. He turned away from the light, dragging a hand through his messy brown hair and gripping it slightly. "What happened last night…" His memory felt off. Foggy. Like something was there, but just out of reach. "And why does my body feel like I got beaten up…" Every part of him ached. His muscles felt heavy, sore in a way that didn't match a normal night. It felt as if someone had used him as a punching bag for several hours and then tucked him back into bed. He exhaled slowly. "I need water." Pushing himself up took more effort than expected. His body felt sluggish as he swung his legs off the bed and stood. The moment his foot touched the floor, something shifted beneath it. Slippery. "Oh shi—" His balance gave out instantly. His body tilted backward before he could react, his hand shooting out to grab onto something, anything. There was nothing. He fell hard, the back of his head slamming against something solid with a sharp crack. For a brief moment, everything went quiet. Then the pain hit. Not the kind of pain from just hitting your head. This was something else entirely. It exploded inside his skull, violent and
