50. (JO POV)

As Dane's whisper filtered through the darkness, confessing his reluctance yet the necessity to give me more of Magness's blood to hasten my recovery, I yearned to communicate my consent.

Trapped in this void, anything to quicken my return to reality was a lifeline I desperately wanted.

Anything. Even that assholes blood.

"I know this isn't ideal, but it's necessary," Dane's voice was a soft echo in the void, "Mag's blood... it'll help speed up your return to us." Though meant to comfort, it carried a resignation I could sense even in my disoriented state.

The sensation of a needle piercing my arm jolted me.

Dane's excitement at my physical response to the discomfort was the most hopeful sound I'd heard in an eternity. "You're starting to come back to us. This should help you open your eyes soon," he encouraged.

I clung to Dane's words, imagining the moment I could see again, be part of the world I was so abruptly torn from.

As Dane checked my pulse, his lips on my neck fe