A statement of a soul | Raphael x Reader

16. An assurance

You wake up feeling suspiciously warm, refreshed and less fatigued. As your heavy eyelids slowly lift, allowing your blurry vision to focus, you realize that you are somewhere else. You make a small motion with your arm, feeling the featherlight fabric slide on your warm skin. As you slowly inhale, the moist air fills your lungs pleasantly, until a weird stench stings your nose.

The smell of sulfur. Your vision immediately clears out and the sleepy haziness wears of, revealing familiar red walls adorned with golden decorations and dark floors.

'Wakey-wakey. I thought you are done for,' you hear Korrilla and turn your head to your left, looking at the woman examining you. She looks just the same as you saw her the last time; her sharp eyes are emphasized with a bold dose of dark eyeshadow and her lips are tinted with a violet matte lipstick. 'No rest for the wicked,' she adds and you aren't sure if it's a taunt or a friendly banter.

You carefully lift yourself on your left elbow and place your feet on the cool floor, before sitting on one of the beds near the hexagonal rejuvenation pool.

'What happened? Did I die? Is Raphael here?'

'Hells, how many questions are you planning to ask?' she raises her eyebrows and tilts her head towards the entrance of the boudoir. You look to the other side, checking if the giant bed between the balconies is occupied. 'You were trying your very best to die, but the pool did you wonders. As for Raphael, he is not here. I was honestly hoping you will tell me why.'

You place your elbows on your knees and support your head on your hands, covering your ears for a moment. As you try to sort out everything that happened, your eyes dart around the gorgeous fabric of the light beige nightgown you are dressed in. You aren't really used to wearing expensive clothes, in fact, your monastery encourages you not to spend money on lavish garments, so it's hard for you to decide if what you are wearing is made of silk or satin.

Korrilla keeps her eyes glued to the entrance until Hope passes through the threshold; Jaheira and Halsin following right after her.
'Tav!' Hope calls out and sends you a bright smile. 'So good to see you awake.'

You slide on the edge of the bed, trying to get closer to your friends.
'Good to see you, too. You look wonderful.'

'And I feel quite nice, as well!' Hope admits.

There is a moment of silence during which the group gathers around you, making you feel a tiny bit overwhelmed. You nod at Jaheira and Halsin; there is a hint of unspoken tension hanging in the air.
'What happened?' you and Halsin ask at the same time, making you chuckle.

'Ladies first,' Halsin raises his meaty hand with a kind, encouraging smile on his face.

You open your mouth and close it the second your eyes fall on Jaheira. She is not smiling, but looking at you quite intensely, clearly expecting an answer.
'I owe you an apology, first and foremost,' you admit after a moment, feeling an uncomfortable sensation setting in your gut. 'For not informing you about what has been going on,' you address the ancient half-elven warrior directly.

'It's alright, Halsin let me know about your adventures since we parted ways.'

'But there is only so much that I'm familiar with,' the man states, gently inquiring you to lift the veil of secrecy.

'Right,' you clasp your hands together on your belly and look at them blankly. 'I have been cursed by Mephistopheles.'

A silence falls inside the room and for a moment you are convinced that everything ceased movement, even the ever-raging wind carrying the sulfuric scent of Avernus. The lazily floating steam from the pool, dancing behind the silhouettes of your companions tells you otherwise.