Chapter 21.1- Confrontation
Rafael had another nightmare.
He woke up from the dream, drenched in sweat. This time it was better than before, at least he didn’t fall off the bed, but that was about it.
The thin Pope lay stiff and rigid on the bed with fear. In his perception, even the expensive and soft silk quilt became a weapon that would entangle him to death. Rafael tried to relax his body, but his overly tense muscles did not obey his command at all. He still followed his instinct and remained alert to the outside world.
A thin layer of sweat hung at the corners of his eyes, and his hair fell into his eyes, bringing an itchy and stinging pain, but he didn’t dare close his eyes. His trembling and desperate soul was still immersed in the aftermath of the nightmare, giving him the illusion that he would be killed if he closed his eyes.
After slowly breathing several times, Rafael finally regained a bit of his senses. He lifted the quilt and got out of bed, walked to the gas valve switch on the wall, and forcefully pulled the toggle switch up. The mechanism embedded in the wall began to operate, and the airflow made a hissing sound as it passed through the brass pipe. After a moment, the gas lamp in the room lit up steadily, casting a shadowless light in the room.
Rafael did not stop. He pulled the switch again, pressing the gas valve to the bottom. The light immediately changed from moderate to blinding white, and the huge and gorgeous top crystal chandelier was like a miniature sun, leaving no room for any shadows.
Surrounded by such light, Rafael finally calmed down.
He returned to the bed and sat for a while, using his hand to brush his slightly damp hair back, revealing a smooth forehead. The fire in the fireplace had died out, and the temperature was slowly dropping with the half-open window. After his rebirth, Rafael had become very resistant to anyone entering his bedroom, especially when he was alone, so he refused to let the servant come in at night to look after the fireplace. As a result, the temperature in the room would always be much lower in the second half of the night.
Sitting on the edge of the bed in this steadily decreasing chill, he may have thought about something or nothing at all. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked steadily, its mechanical, regular operation providing a silent, calming force. He finally felt a slight sense of peace, along with a belated drowsiness.