Waking Up

"Argh..." I groaned, waking up to the all-too-familiar sight of the White Space inside the Lord of Lords pagoda. Its stark, clinical brightness was a jarring contrast to the darkness I'd just been engulfed in. Around me were several of my medical puppets, their mechanical eyes glowing with a soft, pale light as they monitored my vitals. Liang Yu and YuYu were standing close by, their faces a mixture of relief and reprimand as they watched me stir.

"You're back!" Liang Yu exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and anger.

"You big fool!" YuYu added, her voice breaking as she reached out to pinch my arm lightly. It was an act both gentle and scolding, a gesture to remind me of the worry I'd put them through.

"Sorry for making you guys worry," I mumbled, pushing myself up on the cold, smooth surface of the white slab bed. Every muscle in my body ached, as if I had been trampled by a herd of angry elephants.