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I cough up a wad of coagulated blood, tainted by brimstone as I stumble forward, falling to a knee as I stare up at the person who bested me, letting my eyes fall shut as I wait for the inevitable.
But.. nothing happens.
I hesitantly crack an eye open and see my opponent, the one who bested me with such apparent ease, drop into a sitting position and slide off their helmet, an eerily similar set to Yharim, and rub at their weary eyes before sighing and standing up.
They step closer to me, their footsteps echoing through the night.
I stare up at them unflinchingly, eyes darting momentarily to their hand as it lowers towards me, palm up.
I gulp, looking back into their eyes.
They sigh and step forward, faster than I can flinch, weakened as I am, and snag my arm, pulling me up gently. My confusion must be clear, because I hear a low chuckle, I furrow my brow as I stare at them, but they pay me no mind, reaching into a fold of sparking plate and pulling out a communication device.
They tap the screen a couple of times, and then a whirring sound starts, and we disappear in a flurry of teal sparks.
In the time it takes me to blink, we reappear inside a small room, my nose furrows subconsciously as the strong smell of antiseptic hits me, realization quickly following, and I speak.
“Is this.. An infirmary?” I wince as my throat protests the verbalization, ragged from my near death.
They nod, gesturing for a seat behind me, “Indeed, sit please.”
I gulp as they speak for the first time, the lightness in their voice taking me off guard, but I oblige, sitting down in the chair, careful not to get too much blood on it.
They nod, satisfied, and step out of the room, letting the door swing shut behind them.
I blink, feeling a wave of tiredness rush over me as I slouch, determined not to let my guard down despite the situation.
After an amount of time, the door opens again, snapping me out of my daze, instinctively straightening up despite the strain it puts on my wounds, now clotted.
I blink rapidly to try and get my eyes to adjust, and after a moment I see the one who beat me, and behind them a nurse in a pressed white uniform, distantly reminding me of the medics in his army.
“So this is her huh?” the nurse doesn't wait for an answer, pushing past them to step closer towards me.
I don't protest as the nurse gently grabs my chin, tilting my head and humming, “Who did this to you darlin'?”
I gulp, unsure if the question is rhetorical, but she shakes her head, shooting a nasty look over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry dear, I already know.” I glance away from the nurse and at the one who beat me, who looks embarrassed, Glancing away with a sheepish shrug.
The nurse narrows her eyes, then lets go of my chin, reaching into a pocket and holding out a glass bottle, the liquid inside a vibrant red, and places it into my hands, “Drink, it’ll help, and Don’t worry about the cost, they’re coverin’ your bills.”
She pokes a thumb behind her at the person, the one who must be busted, such a simple name for someone who bested me, it almost makes me laugh, almost, instead, I nod and take the cork from the bottom, hesitantly taking a sip, almost instantly I feel a surge of warmth spread from my throat to the rest of my body, I drink the rest of the potion.
My breathing becomes less labored as I feel my wounds stitch themselves shut, my confusion must be clear on my face as she takes the now empty bottle back, as she giggles, placing it on a shelf filled with similar empty bottles, but she provides no answers, just walking out of the room, leaving us alone together.
We stare at each other for a long moment, before I open my mouth and croak out, almost in a whisper, “Why..?”
They sigh, as if dreading the question, and sit heavily on a chair across from me, the wood creaking, “Well, you’ve got some things to get past, and dying certainly won't do anything about that, with any luck, you'd end up just getting reborn again and again until you do something right.”
I can do nothing but blink, confused at the small tangent they went on, “Is that learned from… experience?”
They stare at me, their eyes blazing, before they burst into loud, unabashed laughter, curling inwards and pressing their palms into their eyes.
I furrow my brow as I stare at their shaking form, and it takes a few minutes for them to recover from their outburst, still giggling quietly and wiping some tears from their eyes.
“Oh lord almighty… and here I thought all-powerful witches weren't funny.” They take a deep breath, shivering slightly. “But yes, for me at least, I can't die in a way that matters, be it just coming back to life, or time itself reversing, I just cannot succumb to it, so yeah, experience.”
I hum, processing their words, unsure of what to say, should I comfort? No, even if they wanted it, and it doesn't look like they do, I'm horrible at that. I gulp.
“Um… my condolences?” I shrug awkwardly, figuring it was the best thing to say.
They chuckle and shake their head, looking at me with a small grin, “Psh, nah, don't worry about it, came to terms with it a while ago.”
They stand up, and rolls the stiffness from their shoulders, wincing slightly as cracks emanate, “Feel free to snag a free room somewhere, I've got rooms all across this place, the underground, hollow, ocean, desert, jungle, and the forest, we’re in that last on right now though, but if you wanna head somewhere else just ask someone about the pylons.”
They yawn quietly into their fist as they open the door, glancing over their shoulder, eyes gleaming past the clear exhaustion “Lemmie know if you need anything, I’ll help you out.”
I can do nothing but nod confusedly as they leave, leaving me to my own devices now, free to decide things for myself, free from his influence.
And without noticing, a small smile slides onto my face, the first one in a long time.