Realm Lord

Arthur woke up to the sounds of dim voices, not clear enough for him to hear what they were saying but loud enough to rouse him from his troubled slumber. His eyes fluttered open, vision hazy with the remnants of sleep as he stared at the ceiling above. For a moment, he simply lay there, taking a deep breath as his mind still fluttered with images of his nightmare that were slowly fading away like morning mist, leaving behind only a vague sense of unease and loss.

The morning air—if one could even call it "morning" in this timeless place—filled his lungs as he closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to dispel the lingering shadows of his dreams. With considerable effort, he lifted himself up from the heavenly softness of the mattress, letting out a deep yawn that seemed to echo in the spacious chamber. He stretched his stiff arms above his head, feeling the satisfying pop of his joints as his muscles relaxed.

Rubbing his blurry eyes with the heels of his palms, Arthur’s vision gradually cleared to reveal Aziel and the rest of the group conversating on the other side of the room. The faint glow of lanterns cast shadows across the stone floor, illuminating their animated faces as they huddled together.

Aziel was speaking energetically, his hands gesturing wildly in the air as he recounted what appeared to be quite the tale to Lara and the rest of her exploration group. They were listening intently, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief. Lara, more so than the others, was leaning in with wide eyes and a smile on her face that screamed tell me more, tell me more. It was a stark contrast to her serious demeanor from the previous night.

Arthur turned to hang his feet off the bed before getting up, his beaten and torn up boots making a soft thud against the stone floor. A pleasant sense of physical well being washed over him as he stood.

’Gosh, I haven’t felt this good physically since entering this realm,’ he thought with mild surprise. Arthur felt refreshed, his stomach was full from the previous night’s meal, his wounds were healed thanks to Lara, and he had gotten to sleep on a real bed instead of hard ground. The luxury of it almost made him forget the dangers that lurked beyond the room’s heavy wooden door.

Trying to push his dream to the back of his mind, he made his way over to the group. Their words started clearing up as he approached, the excited chatter becoming more distinct with each step.

"Then I got hit by fucking lightning!! I’m serious, it was crazy," Aziel exclaimed, his hair seeming to stand on end just from the memory. "I got all supercharged and stuff!" He spoke like a giddy little kid. His eyes were alight with enthusiasm.

Upon noticing Arthur approaching, Aziel turned his head, a grin still plastered across his face. "Morning, Arthur," he greeted, gesturing to the others. "They wanted to hear more about the rose field and our journey through it, so I’m telling them how awesome I was." His pride was palpable, chest puffed out slightly as he basked in the admiration of their new allies.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, scanning the captivated faces of Lara’s team. "Why so curious about all that?" he asked, his gaze finally settling on Lara, who almost looked just as giddy as Aziel. Her typical composure had given way to an almost childlike fascination.