[XS] Before Dawn

[XS] Before Dawn Prologue He suddenly opened his eyes, the pain so intense he could barely make a sound. The swordsman clutched the bedsheets, pressing his severed limb hard against the bed. Since losing his hand, Spelbi Squalo had never felt pain this deep in his bones. He leaned over the edge of the bed, pressing on his abdomen to ease the unbearable discomfort. Damn it! Why is this happening again? And in the middle of the night, too! He gasped for breath, trying to take deep breaths to relax his tense muscles. After a few tries, the pain gradually subsided. It seemed to help a little. The silver-haired assassin sat up and rested his elbows on his knees. With his right hand, he swept all the unruly hair hanging over his face back behind his head. His back was slick with cold sweat, and strands of silver hair clung to it, but he couldn't be bothered to pull them away. Damn it... The swordsman gritted his teeth in frustration. What was going on?