Page 54 of Cursed Dreams
Her heart pounded as she stared at the empty corridor where he had disappeared.
The silence felt heavier now.
She looked down at the closed book in her hands, the weight of it suddenly unfamiliar.
She turned heading back to her room her mind spinning with more questions and next to no answers.
Chapter 15
The morning air was crisp as Thalia and Nyla made their way toward the hospital wing, their soft chatter filling the stone corridors of the temple. The scent of fresh herbs and faintly burning incense lingered in the air, a familiar, calming presence as sunlight filtered through the high-arched windows.
“I swear if I have to sit through another lecture about potion ratios, I’ll fall asleep right there in the lab,” Nyla grumbled, adjusting the strap of her satchel. “We’re healers, not alchemists. Why do they insist on,”
A frantic set of footsteps echoed down the corridor behind them, followed by a sharp, breathless voice.
"Thalia! Nyla!"
Thalia barely had time to turn before Marand appeared, running full speed toward them, her face flushed, her dark curls wild around her face. She skidded to a halt, chest heaving, eyes wide with worry.
“Master Elric, he’s calling for us,” she panted. “It’s Aric, his condition changed overnight. He wants us there immediately.”
Thalia’s stomach dropped.
She barely registered Nyla’s gasp before she took off running down the corridor, her heart hammering in her chest.
Aric. Please be alright.
Her thoughts raced as her boots pounded against the polished stone floor Nyla matching her pace.What had changed? Why was he worse? Was he dying? Had they missed something—
She didn’t slow, didn’t hesitate as they rounded a corner, nearly colliding with a group of startled priestesses. They barely managed a polite nod of apology before continuing their sprint toward the hospital wing, the urgency burning through Thalia like fire.
Aric had been stable. Weak, but stable.
What had happened?
Master Elric stood in the centre of his office, his expression solemn, hands clasped neatly behind his back. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, illuminating the stacks of medical texts and scattered notes on his desk, but despite the warmth of the morning light, the air in the room felt heavy.
Cellen was already there, leaning against a shelf with his arms crossed, his usual easy smirk absent. He straightened slightly as Thalia, Nyla, and Marand rushed in, still catching their breath from the run.
Master Elric offered them a curt nod. “Ah, ladies. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
His voice was as calm and steady as always, but there was an edge to it, something tight, something measured.
Thalia swallowed hard. “What happened?”
Elric exhaled through his nose, his fingers twitching slightly before he smoothed them over his robes. “During the night, Aric suffered another attack.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over them. “But this time, the glowing lasted significantly longer. His body is.” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “It’s struggling. More than before. His strength is failing. He does not have much time left.”
The room fell deathly silent.
Thalia’s stomach twisted as she processed the words. She had known Aric was deteriorating, but hearing it spoken so plainly, so final, made it feel real in a way she wasn’t prepared for.
“What exactly do you mean bystruggling?” Marand asked, her voice steady, but her fingers fidgeting at her side.
Elric sighed. “His pulse is faint, his breathing laboured. His body is having trouble sustaining itself. His limbs are weaker, and his fever is higher than it has ever been. Whatever is happening to him, it is accelerating.”
Thalia’s mind raced through everything they had studied, everything they had tested. “And the glow? Did it fade naturally?”
Elric nodded. “Yes, but it took much longer than before. The longer these episodes last, the more damage they seem to do. We still do not know the cause, nor do we understand how to stop it.”
