Damian’s eyes fluttered open to a blinding white light. His head pounded, and his shoulder ached with a dull, throbbing pain. As his vision cleared, he found himself in an unfamiliar room - sterile and clinical; the kind found in a hospital.

“Welcome back, Mr. Blackwood.” A woman in a pristine white coat stepped into his line of sight, her expression neutral. “I’m Dr. Novak, the attending physician. How are you feeling?”

Damian tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness swept over him. “What happened? Where am I?”

Dr. Novak approached the bed, her movements measured. “You were involved in an accident, Mr. Blackwood. You sustained a gunshot...