Simon woke nearly twenty-four hours after lying down.
For a while, he remained beneath the covers, looking at the ceiling.
He couldn't remember the last time he had slept that long. Or slept that well.
The heaviness in his limbs had eased. His heart no longer felt as though every beat required effort, and the ache left by the two awakenings had faded considerably.
He stretched, then sat up.
Four familiar presences answered a brief sweep of his perception.
Sonya, Akaza, Virella, and Ammor were in their rooms. Their auras were steady, and nothing suggested they needed his attention.
Good.
Simon got out of bed.
His private cultivation chamber occupied the rear of the ground floor, beside the passage leading to the practice courtyard. A heavy black door stood within a thick archway, with pale inscriptions running around its frame.
He pressed his identity token against the small recess beside it.
The door opened.
