LACUNA [ THE DARKLING ]

025. - i almost lose you

Ravenna Chernoff has awakened.

Birds singing in the distance outside the windows and on the balcony startled her up. Just slivers of the morning's golden light could be seen in the room since the drapes were drawn, blocking all but the smallest fissures of light.

As she slowly regained consciousness, the woman felt a throbbing ache in her abdomen. She tried to move, but her body felt heavy as if weighed down by invisible chains. She opened her eyes to a dimly lit room and realized that she was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar place. She felt a jolt of panic as she struggled to remember how she got there.

She gasped as a searing pain shot through her as she struggled to sit up. When she looked down she noticed that her garments were ripped and covered with blood. She realized that she must have been injured and someone had tended to her wounds.

With a sudden sense of urgency, the woman pushed herself up and looked around the room. It was a small and dusty, with peeling wallpaper and cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. There was no sign of anyone else around.

She began to feel a sense of unease as if she was being watched. She looked around for a weapon but found nothing except for a small knife lying on a nearby table. She picked it up, feeling its reassuring weight in her hand.

Suddenly, she heard the creak of the door opening. She tensed, ready to defend herself. As the door swung open, a man stood in front of her with his wide eyes opened in disbelief and shock.

"Thank goodness you're awake," he said, his voice full of relief. "You've been unconscious for days."

She did not lower the knife that she was holding, but soon a sharp pain strike her abdomen once more, making her wince. The man rushed to her side and gripped her waist before helping her back to bed.

"Careful," the man said. "You're still recovering."

She looked at him, trying to place his face. She felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite remember who he was.

"How would you rate the pain?" the man asked.

"Zero stars," Ravenna answered. "I would not recommend."

The man's laugh sounded like music and bells, her stomach was doing somersaults at the sound of it.

"Well, no one would recommend a volcra jabbing its claws on you," the man said.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Aleksander felt like his world had crumbled. His face fell, and tears welled up in his eyes. "It's me, my love," he said, his voice choking with emotion. "Your Aleksander."

She looked at him, feigning confusion. "I'm sorry," she said. "I- I don't know any Aleksander."

His heart sank as he watched Ravenna struggle to remember him. The thought that she might have forgotten him was unbearable. He tried to remind her of the moments they had shared, the love they had shared, but she remained indifferent.