Arthur's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

I hate everything. Correction, almost everything. Some things are tolerable and other things that grow on you like cancer. However, I’ve never been a fan of being woken up by others talking. Especially not when I wake up groggy and in a daze. Becoming aware before I started to stir wasn’t unheard of, but the raised voices certainly irked me.

“Ah’m tellin ya ta leave him be!” I heard Cassidy’s voice chime in, irritated.

“Ms. Reed, I appreciate you looking after him, but Sir Arthur needs to be moved. He is now stable, and it’s time.” General Alwin replied.

Another voice pitched in. “Arthur has been through a lot. We cannot leave him in this room after what happened.” Lucia chided. “Just being in here makes me uneasy.”

My head started to throb when she mentioned the room and I felt like I was forgetting something. “Eternity…” I breathed out.

As soon as I said that, the room went quiet for a moment. “Did he just-“

“Enter eternity. Embrace eternity.” At this moment, I felt something change out of my control.

“What is he saying?” I heard Lucia ask before everything went blank.

Lucia's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

Arthur’s body lurched forward as he began howling in pain. His eyes glowed with bursts of magic enveloping the entirety of the strange symbols that usually resided there. That same energy began spreading across his body and was covering it. Soon, his power started going haywire as it lashed out across the already destroyed room. Alwin grabbed Cassidy, and I teleported us outside before putting up a shield around the room.

“What just happened!?” Alwin questioned in a strained voice.

His shield was ineffective as a burst of Arthur’s energy completely destroyed Alwin’s magic. “ETERNITY!” Arthur’s voice roared so loud that it felt like the entire mountain shook.

Alwin ended up on a knee from the backlash, but I pulled him back to his feet before putting some distance between us and the room. Cassidy and I watched while the General tried to recover. Strikes of Arthur’s energy on a rampage completely decimated anything it came into contact with. Biting my lip in nervousness, I could only hope he wouldn’t accidentally kill someone.

Obviously, many started shouting in alarm from inside the Temple and the outside. Everyone wanted answers, but I feared none of us would get any. However, just as quickly as the storm came, it ended. No longer did Arthur’s energy lash out and his screaming had ceased.

Several bystanders looked at me. But I had no answers for them. We approached cautiously and on edge. Peering inside the missing wall once more, we were surprised to see Arthur sitting there in a daze. None of his energy was present and instead appeared to be in pain.

Cassidy hopped over some of the rubble and stopped beside him. “Ya okay there, Arthur?”

Arthur's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

There was a ringing in my ears as my body refused to move. Almost like time had stopped for me. Something had happened, but I was unsure of what. I woke up, and then everything went black again. Everything hurt. Even more than when I had initially regained consciousness. My energy was likely at one of the lowest points it had ever been. My vision was flickering in and out. That told me I had more energy than my return from the past. Yet, everything felt so numb as I sat there in a stupor.

It wasn’t until I heard, “Arthur!” Being shouted in my ear that my head slowly turned. “Breathe, Arthur, breathe!” She said hastily in a concerned tone.

Gasping for air that I didn’t even know I needed, I breathed in as deep as I could. Cassidy rubbed my back gently and carefully as I started breathing again. The entire situation was confusing to me. As was my being in some manner of robes. Looking around, a destroyed room apparently, my eyes finally settled back on Cassidy.

Opening my mouth, I croaked out, which got the redhead to speak softly. “Don’t talk. Ya ain’t had much ta drink the last few days.” She tried to lay me back down, but I didn’t budge. “Ya need ta lay down, Arthur.” Giving her a look made her sigh. “Hang on.”

Cassidy left through a door, which led to the halls of the Temple and moved to another room across the way. Ignoring her for a moment, I studied the room once more to see several holes scattered about along with an entire wall missing. Where the missing wall was, stood Alwin and Lucia, who were gaping at my appearance.

The redhead returned with a pitcher and glass of water. Murmurs could be heard from the hall and outside the destroyed wall. I ignored them all as I downed the water provided to me. It felt refreshing to my entire being. Like I was being rejuvenated entirely as she held it to my lips.

“How do ya feel?” Cass inquired softly as she put the water off to the side.

Turning to her, I replied. “I fuckin hate Demons.”