Pain… So much… Pain… All I know…

Darkness all around… The taste of… blood and sand?

Sharp blooms of agony soon begin to spread all over me, like tiny scarabs biting away from the inside, followed by sounds like pounding thunder. The pain spikes, then lessens, repeating this way for what feels like an eternity until-

Light.

I find myself on cold stone, the bright light quickly fading from my eyes. My senses quickly adjust. Though the chamber itself is dark, the dimmest light permeates the gloom. My heart is pounding in my chest as my body struggles to function. Breathing is difficult for a moment, but soon what little oxygen I can get helps me orient myself. My thoughts quickly turn to questions: Where am I? And how did I get here?

a blinding light, a woman screaming, a child in anguish, followed by horrid laughter-

…

What was that?

I will my legs to stand. At first my body resists, wanting to rest again in whatever oblivion I managed to escape. With much exertion, I finally manage to rise from the ground.

I look down at myself, and see my body as it was long ago: strong arms that raised armies and cities, hands that guided a nation bright as the rising sun, legs that carried a legacy of glory, and-

Blood?

I'm standing in a pool of blood.

I check for wounds, finding nothing.

searing pain, body blasted by wild energy, my mind slipping into darkness-

Suddenly images and memories flood my mind. A laughing woman, dancing in the midnight desert air, now the same woman, heavily pregnant, then holding a small child-

My child.

My family.

Intense emotions overtake me, threatening to topple my newfound balance. The memories keep coming, but in smaller bits now. Playing in the sand as a child, then shifting to practicing sword techniques with his father. More and more kept coming, each leaving him with a single common word.

Azir.

My name… is Azir. And I… am the Emperor of Shurima.

Though many memories are still hazy, my mind is sharp once more, and I focus on what is before me. I recognize now where I am: the heart of the Imperial Palace. My body, recovering its strength, is in no way hurt. Casting my gaze around me, I see a form in the shadows ahead. Crouching down, ready to strike, I move forward, a trail of blood guiding me forward. Drawing closer, I can hear breaths, shallow and frail, being drawn. I take another step.

It's a woman.

A pool of blood gathers around her, a large wound through her waist still flows.

Caution turns into pity. I raise her from the ground, deciding whether or not it was too late to help her, when I see her face. She is beautiful and young, but with small faint scars in some places. Against my better judgement, my heart begins to ache for her.

She reminds me of… Me.

I cannot let her die, not here.

I quickly pick her up, my arms once again strong. My mind spins as I try to think of what to do. Another memory, of a fountain, deep under the palace, where the great river flows beneath. The Oasis of Life.

I run, balancing speed with care as I try not to agitate her wound. My body seems separate from my mind as it turns down the vast ruined corridors and through every empty chamber seemingly on instinct. Fortunate enough that it can do that because my every thought is preoccupied with saving this strange woman. I know not why, but she is precious to me.

Finally, the smell of damp earth and water hit me. I've arrived.

Though once a grand well of energized waters that healed the sick and gave rise to the world's greatest empire, the oasis had shrunken down nothing but muddy patches of water. I strode through the mud, desperately looking for an adequate sized pool.

Finally, a small spring that was barely a few feet deep caught my eye. Walking over, I felt that it still carried its rejuvenating power. Gently, I lower her in.

I pray I am not too late.