XVII

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Tori's eyes calmly opened, revealing a dull and dingy ceiling made of blackened bricks. Wherever he was, it was dark aside from a faint, silvery light keeping the shade from over-encompassing the space. He felt an oddly comfortable, soft and warm feeling touching his skin that contrasted the chilled, musty air touching his face and filling his nose.

After a moment, Tori realized he was lying in a bed, seemingly wearing nothing but his pants and underwear before turning his head to the right to see a nightstand directly next to him and a window with thin, tattered curtains. Pale moonlight poured in, casting a crisp silhouette of the window's intricate mullion across the shady floor. He could see little more than that aside from an armchair in the far corner and what looked like the burnt remains of a wall hanging posted on the wall next to it.

Slowly turning his head to check the other side, Tori's eyes widened when he saw a young woman lying next to him on her side, facing the other direction with her red hair splayed across the pillow between them. Peeking out from under the sheets were her soft looking, porcelain shoulders, lightly blotched with freckles, slowly spreading and contracting with each breath she took, giving him the impression that she was still asleep. He recognized the red of this woman's hair and the fair complexion of her skin. He had actually gotten somewhat used to seeing it over the last couple of weeks. Tori wondered if this woman sharing a bed with him could be Scinthia before a thought occurred to him and shook him to his core.

"What the hell happened last night?" He asked himself.

He tried thinking back to before he went to sleep, but could remember nothing. While taking that moment to think back, he'd actually managed to calm his mind a bit and was able to recall their encounter with Ilia instead. The memory of being shot caused him to bring his right hand up to feel his chest where he remembered the pain coming from. He was surprised when his fingertips brushed over what felt like the bumps of a grisly scar, nearly the size of his palm, over his heart.

Now, even more confused, he turned his gaze back to the woman, whom he believed to be Scinthia, and decided it was time for him to start getting answers.

"S-Scinthia..." Tori struggled briefly while moving a hand, intending to shake her awake.

Before his hand could reach her, the woman spoke.

"You know, I might not have much experience with men, but even I know it's awfully rude to address the woman you wake up next to by another woman's name." She commented, still facing away from him before letting out a disappointed sigh. "I suppose it was nice while it lasted."

The bed quietly creaked as she slid her legs off the edge of the mattress and placed her feet on the floor. Sitting up, the white silk covers pooled at the base of her equally pale posterior, revealing that she was completely bare. With burning ears and again widening eyes, Tori sat up and pondered if he was actually still asleep as she nonchalantly stood from the bed, offering him a full view of her lithe body's rear face. Taking a few steps, a black, form-fitting dress with a flowing lower half and sheer sleeves, possessing gold and silver veins running through it, seemingly materialized over her body as she walked to the foot of the bed before stopping to look at him.

"Whatever am I going to do with you, Tori?" She gave him a smirk, holding a finger to her cheek while her other hand held her elbow.

Despite his shock and embarrassment, one of Tori's many questions had just been answered.

"Ilia..." He corrected, glaring at the witch.

"That's better." She said with a satisfied smile. "Now, how are you feeling? Even though the healing I did managed to save your life, I still couldn't get rid of that nasty scar so if you're still in pain, you'll have to tell me."

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