You slowly blinked your eyes open, a gently light seeping through the darkness behind your heavy lids as you stared blankly at a panelled floor, smooth wood softly reflecting the subtle glow of a flickering candle, flame crackling quietly in such a comforting way that it almost lulled you back to sleep. However, a sharp, stabbing pain in your lower abdomen abruptly ripped you back into agonising consciousness, and you curled into yourself with a whimper, barely registering the soft sheets you found yourself laid upon. Despite being unable to recall the events that led up to you waking in this unfamiliar room, you were not uneasy - there was a calming nature about the space, though in your current space you couldn’t truly appreciate it. Footsteps approached at a fairly hasty pace, a figure peering around a small, ornate divider just by your bedside. He seemed to notice your discomfort, crouching beside you and prying your hands from your knees, tenderly coaxing you out of your fetal position to run his slender digits over the skin at your abdomen. His touch was cold, almost startlingly so as you began to arouse yourself from your drowsy spell.

“Shh, you’re alright. I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to take my eyes off of you. How are you feeling?”