236 Liberty {1} - First We Feast

Liberty's eyes snapped open, her breath ragged as she jolted upright. The memory of the vast darkness and the overwhelming sensations clung to her mind like a fading dream. She was back, back in her own body, her own reality.

Gasping for air, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, her heart still racing from the intensity of her experience. She looked around, her surroundings slowly coming into focus. The room was dimly lit, and the shadows seemed to dance around her as if whispering secrets of the otherworldly realm she had just left.

Slowly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her muscles feeling strangely heavy yet more alive than ever. She glanced down at her hands, noticing the rune that had manifested on her palms in the midst of her dream-like state. It let out a faint glow, casting a soft, ethereal light on her skin.