Chapter 34: Deja Vu (5)
The world was dark, but the feelings were clear.
Arthur felt a hand clamped over his mouth, pressing firmly against his lips. Something dry and flavorless touched his tongue, sliding down his throat like sandpaper. His heart trembled in his chest, each beat a painful reminder that he was still alive, still fighting. Broken, blurry words filtered through the darkness surrounding him.
"It—be—ok... Why?"
Then, once again for the very first time, a hand touched his shoulder, pushing him starkly awake.
"Arthur, wake up! You're sleeping the day away."
Arthur's eyes shot open, consciousness returning in a violent rush. He launched upward, muscles tensing as he prepared to manifest his sword—only to find Luke kneeling before him, eyes wide with shock, recoiling from Arthur's sudden movement.
"Relax! It's just me, Arthur," Luke said, hands raised in a placating gesture, palms facing outward.
Arthur released a held breath of restlessness and fell back against the cold stone wall of the temple, the rough surface grounding him to reality. He was safe. He was with his friend.
"S-sorry," he mumbled, his voice rough and scratchy, as though he hadn't used it in days rather than hours.