Trapped within a dream

The Buzz of Worried Prayers...

{Authors Note: okay yeah continuing with Bennett and Venti for a bit. Sorry again- life is kinda chaotic and I have a lot of stuff to do outside writing fanfiction- also wasn't sure how interested anyone was in this story anymore due to all the delay. If anyone is still interested I hope you enjoy this chapter. Honestly I may rewrite this story, I even thought of maybe trying to make my own cover art for it, however I'm not super confident in my art skills- so I donno. If I do make any original art though, I'll be sure to post it in here somewhere. Anyways, have a nice read if nothing else!}

(Bennett P.O.V)

My breath hitched, I just... I couldn't believe my luck could do something like this. Did... is... is Mona really gone? What do I? How do I?
Venti seemed to notice me, he looked concerned, but didn't really have anything to say about it.
Rather, he turned his attention to the young mage.
I pray to Barbatos she's still breathing! Please just... please still be there Mona!
Venti hesitantly took the mages arm and pressed his fingers down at her wrist.
I knew what he was doing but... I had only ever learned it in training protocol. He was actually checking Mona for a pulse... he must have had the same thought huh? This isn't good...

(Venti P.O.V)

{Side Note: (feel free to skip) Oh and uh Venti is Barbatos in case you somehow missed that- and so he can hear peoples prayers, yay! All of Bennett's 'Prayers' will be bolded and italicized, hopefully that makes sense.}

It makes sense that she's here... this is where I heard the prayer from but... she felt so strangely distant. A Dreamworld huh? I haven't heard a term such as this... not in a long time anyways...
She's not exactly a loyal follower, nor someone I know well, but this is still rather concerning. Normally I keep my distance from her, especially considering that awkward incident when the traveler asked her to read my fortune- heh that was incredibly hard to explain...
I almost felt bad dragging Bennett into this mess, however if this really is magic capable of trapping someone within a dreaming state, it would be foolish to investigate alone.
I can't just ignore this cry for help, but I also can't just get trapped within this world with nobody left to remember me.
Would anyone ever remember to look for me...?
I quickly shake the thought, as I hear Bennett's desperate prayers buzz through my head with the intensity of an angry swarm.
"Oh Dear Lord Barbatos, please tell me Mona is Okay! She can't be dead right?"
....
"She's Fischls best friend, this would absolutely crush her... how would I even begin to explain it?"
"Oh no please don't tell me this is because of my luck right?! I... I couldn't live with myself if I..."
And on it went like that...
Gah- jeez kid! I know he's scared, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but his incessant worrying ringing through my head surely isn't helping right now!
I already know she's alive or I wouldn't have heard her prayer... but I can't just tell Bennett that. So, I have to play along for now... alas the struggles of keeping up this identity has a great many unexpected problems.
I lowered myself besides her and took her wrist as gently as I could, and pretended to fallow Bennett's concerns as I waited for a pulse.
It was, strangely harder to feel than I thought...
I mean, I know some mortals have smaller vein structures but come on Mona please don't make this difficult! Oh why am I blaming her?
It's not as if she wants this... situation either.
I have to shift my fingers a few times before I finally felt any response at all.
The beat of her heart is still pulsing, however it's noticeably weaker than it should be, almost unnoticeable... that can't be good at all...
"Venti...?"
I jumped at Bennett's sudden closeness, he had anxiously made his way to stand behind me and I hadn't noticed. He tried to sound calm but it didn't really work, his voice was more hesitant than it was before, and it's hard to believe him when his worrying still flooded through my head in the guise of prayer.
I sigh... "She's still alive Bennett, please calm down."
Seriously, please, I appreciate your concern for the mage, but all of your worrying thoughts are starting to give me a headache... ugh...
Luckily this seemed to calm him down a bit.
"Thank you Barbatos..."
Likely the anxious lad still had quite a few worries on his mind, but at least now he kept those to himself, and I could think again.
"What happened to her then-? She er doesn't exactly look injured but what is she doing out here?"
That is a great question, hmm...
"Well, I thought I sensed some strange energy from here like I said, however..."
I hate having to lie like this but I can't just say I heard a prayer! Ugh... secret identities are hard...
I restrained myself from biting my lip anxiously, as I tried to organize my next words very carefully.
"It appears as though Mona had stumbled across this place somehow, we should investigate it with caution. Something about it doesn't seem... normal..."
Hopefully that was good enough? Bennett nodded as we started to sift through the strange little camp site. I pulled up the fabric a little more, only to further unfold a rather... um strange sight to say the least...
Just what was Mona doing here~?