It's Over?

Aziz blinked furiously, his eyes struggling to adjust.

The brightness stung like a blade slicing through the shadows he'd grown so used to in the depths of Peklo Forest. He shielded his eyes with his arm, squinting against the sunlight spilling through the lone window in the stone-walled room.

The air was different—fresh, crisp, and carrying a faint tang of salt, like a distant ocean.

It was free of the damp, earthy musk of the underground. He sucked in a breath, his chest tightening at the realization.

The sky.

For the first time in years, he saw it. The faint outline of clouds, a pale blue canvas that stretched endlessly beyond his vision.

"The air… smells strange," he muttered, his voice hoarse. His fingers trembled slightly as he let his arm drop.

"You'll get used to it," came the gruff voice of the man behind the desk. "It always feels overwhelming at first, but give it time."