Chapter 33: Deja Vu (4)
Arthur lunged from his spot against the wall in a cold sweat, about to manifest his sword before landing his eyes on Luke, who coiled back with shock lining his eyes.
"Relax! It's just me, Arthur," Luke said, hands raised in a placating gesture, his expression shifting from surprise to concern.
Arthur let go of a held breath of restlessness and fell back against the cold stone wall, remembering that he was safe and with his friend. His pulse gradually slowed as reality settled back around him.
"S-sorry," he mumbled, his voice rough from sleep, throat parched from the long night.
Luke smiled and sat next to him, "No worries, man. I get it... it's been rough out here."
Arthur sighed and relaxed back on the cold stone wall, looking up at the blue sky overhead. The day appeared peaceful—deceptively so, given the world they now inhabited. Suddenly, a splitting headache came on with a sense of déjà vu, and he remembered that weird dream.
Arthur's head was splitting, and he was being filled with all the feelings from his dream. It was overwhelming... he couldn't explain it, but he felt like they needed to leave... they needed to get as far away from here as possible because something wasn't right here. The pressure behind his eyes built until he could barely focus, the stone walls of the temple behind him seeming to pulse with an unseen energy.
Luke looked at him, concerned. "You okay?"
Arthur was rubbing his temples before taking a deep breath and looking at his friend. "I don't know, I- I think we should leave... now." His voice trembled slightly, betraying the anxiety coursing through him.
Luke's shock was obvious as it was painted over his face. "W-what? Why? What's going on?" His brows furrowed deeply, confusion evident in every line of his expression.
Arthur stood up and patted the dust off his robes, his movements jerky and urgent. "I-I don't know, but something isn't right here. We need to go." The ancient stone beneath his feet felt suddenly alien, as though the temple itself was rejecting his presence.
Luke stood up, still very confused as Arthur was seemingly ready to break out into a sprint. He put a hand on his shoulder, the touch grounding and firm. "Whoa, whoa, hold on... Take a breath. What's going on?"