Slurp Slurp
A faint slurp breaking through the haze that surrounded Alaric.
The first thing he noticed was the sound.
Soft at first but with an amusing rhythm.
His senses returned slowly, unevenly, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place one by one. There was a dull heaviness pressing down on his body, his limbs refusing to respond, his head clouded with something thick and distant.
Even breathing felt different… difficult and heavier, as if his body hadn't quite decided whether to wake up fully or sink back into the dark.
Then came the smell.
Something warm and spiced.
Something familiar enough to stir a faint awareness in him.
Then another slurp.
His brows twitched slightly.
He could now listen to the faint voices from around the corner.
Muffled at first, as though he were hearing them from underwater.
"Elena, you really didn't have to come here… you're not well yourself."
His father's voice. Sounded awkward with a hint of annoyance.
