Chapter 126

Adler's ascent was a struggle, his head pounding, his vision blurred, and a sharp pain cutting through his skull.

But the feeling of emptiness superseded them all—the perception that he had lost something important, a massive part of him, and was about to find out what.

Heavy and crippling, it came with a fear that he wouldn't like what he'd find when he fully awakened.

The clouds left his eyes, and he found himself staring at a glass cup on the drawer surface next to the bed he laid on. Yeah, that was familiar; what wasn't normal was waking up to sunlight. Something was wrong.

"I love you, Adler…."

He jolted out of bed, ignoring the pounding ache in his head, swallowing hard as he stared at the empty bed. His heart sank, and reluctantly, he turned to the cup again. The white film on its surface and the weariness of his bones were enough to put it all together.

"I love you, Adler….don't look for me."

Her voice echoed in his mind, the words giving meaning to the prevailing silence. It