BOOK II: Dawn of Aetheria(G!P)

ch 20: Promise

The room was dim, the heavy curtains drawn tight, suffocating the space in darkness. As Emrys slowly became aware of his surroundings, the intimacy of the room struck him—it was smaller than the grand chambers he was accustomed to in the palace and the forest, but still held an understated elegance.

The walls were painted in muted shades of blue and gray, soothing and quiet, while the faint scent of lavender hung in the air, calming but somehow oppressive. A large bed, draped with a thick, dark comforter, filled the room, and beside it, a simple wooden table sat with little more than a glass of water.

Despite the serene setup, a strange tension lingered, seeping into the air. Emrys couldn’t shake the feeling, and the unease in his chest deepened as his memory failed to recall how he had ended up here.

His thoughts were blurred, fragments of the past two days elusive. Only glimpses of Denise flickered in his mind, and with them, a rising sense of dread.

Emrys stirred, his body sluggish, his head throbbing with a dull, persistent ache. His throat was dry, and he groaned softly, the confusion making it harder to focus. The silence of the room felt heavy and unnatural. It was as if time had slowed down around him, trapping him in an odd, dream-like state.

The door creaked open, and Denise entered, her face devoid of its usual warmth. Her straight brows were furrowed, her expression more distant and serious than he remembered. Something was different about her—off, even. She seemed colder, her movements deliberate and controlled. She carried a glass of fresh blood in her hands and approached the bed without meeting his eyes.

“You’re awake,” she said softly, her voice flat, almost hollow. She handed him the drink. "Here, drink this. It will help you regain your strength."

Emrys took the glass, the cool liquid easing his dry throat as it went down, but it did little to clear the fog that clouded his mind. He lay back against the pillows, feeling the familiar rush of healing magic spread through his veins. The aches in his body were quick to fade, but the heaviness in his mind lingered, refusing to let go.

"How long...?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse, struggling to piece together his fractured memories.

Denise’s response was immediate but strangely detached. “You’ve been asleep for two days,” she replied, her eyes vacant, betraying nothing.

Two days? Emrys’ heart raced. How had he lost so much time?

His thoughts spun, searching for clarity. Denise. She wasn't with him, that much he remembered. But, what happened?

There was something unsettling in the way she carried herself now—calm, yes, but not in the way he remembered. There was something beneath the surface, something dark and impenetrable.

Emrys struggled to sit up, urgency gnawing at his insides, but even though his body was healed, his mind was still slow, as if weighed down by an unseen force. He looked at Denise, who stood with her arms crossed, watching him with that same strange detachment.

“I... what happened?” he asked, his voice thick with confusion. “Why can’t I remember anything?”

Denise’s eyes flashed with something, a brief emotion he couldn’t place, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She nodded, her expression still too calm. “You drank too much,” she said, her voice steady but distant. “The house was full of liquors strong enough to intoxicate even the most resilient.”

Emrys blinked, frowning as he tried to make sense of her words. He didn’t remember drinking enough to blackout, let alone enough to make him lose two full days. Something felt wrong—terribly wrong—but as he looked at Denise’s unreadable face, he wasn’t sure he would ever know the truth.