:::::::

L U M O R N E L

::::::;

A deep, blurred depth receded beneath me.

And above... an explosion of vibrant color.

Streaks of vibrancy blurred past, sounds streamed together into one incoherent scream, the noise like a cacophony so loud I thought my head would burst.

My tongue was on fire—no there was a hint of apple—no cinnamon—meat, sweets, warmth, coolness, someone's lips—

And my skin. An explosion of pain cocooned me. No longer was I stuck in the physical wrap of skin, but rather in the screaming agony of a million touches and caresses, a million sensations, a million knives—

And I realized, those were not simple colors mashed together to blind me, but rather images lay in wait. A glimpse of a home, a tree. A sight of a horse, a dress, a dagger, a flash of golden hair and blue eyes, red blood and pale hands that gripped an impaling sword. A fluffy sky, a yellowed robe and a glinting blade.

They streaked by—no they were not streaking by. I was being pulled out of that murky depth, or maybe some barrier was uncovered, but I was sinking fast into those meteoric moving colors, peppered with images.

I fell so fast into the colors, my eyes felt bare with the explosion of vibrancy, my ears bursting with every noise, my nose burning and aching, tongue a swollen mess of fire, and my skin—alight with every known touch.

And—

Everything came to a halting standstill. Of cool, blessed nothingness.

And everything returned.

And I remembered.

:::::

Chapter 25 will be up within the hour! Just gotta read through it one last time :)