Eliona's War 1: Hesitant Healer

Chapter 54

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Severance arrived in the courtyard in a flash of light.

The sun now soared in the sky, beaming down with oppressive warmth. Clouds nestled around it, occasionally drifting past its surface and casting the world beneath in a moment of cooling shadow.

The shift from the darkness of his bedroom to bright daytime felt jarring, so Severance automatically walked towards the doors of the clan House. It was dark inside, he remembered, and quiet, and that was what he wanted right now.

A heavy pressure built in his mind and chest, making it hard to breathe. A mantra had settled into place, and he clung to it with a desperate determination.

Don't think, don't think, don't think.

The two youngest of the clan, Tayci and Mirren, ran about the courtyard, shrieking and laughing as they played tag. Tayci ran right in front of him with a giggle and a "Hey Sev!" Mirren was right on her heels.

Severance didn't react, only a vague part of his brain registering their presence.

The doors of the clan House were propped open. As he went through, the cool shade of the indoors enveloped him. He stepped into its embrace gratefully, finally coming to a stop a few feet into the House's great hall.

And then he stood, because he didn't know what to do.

More of the Veiled milled about the Hall, chatting with each other or simply crossing from one room to another, carrying furs, tools, or baskets of supplies. Laughter rang out between groups, echoing in the hall. The atmosphere felt lighthearted, warm, happy.

It felt like he'd just walked into someone's home, intruding on the activities of a proper, functional family. Which he supposed it was, and they were.

He didn't fit.

The feeling that he was out of place grew, and suddenly he wanted to leave. Why did he come here? He was an outsider. He didn't belong here.

His discomfort tripled in an instant, yet his feet seemed to glue themselves to the floor. He wanted to leave. He wanted to stay. He wanted something, needed something, but didn't know how to get it or what it even was.

He felt lost.

"Severance?" A woman with short-cropped black hair noticed him first, and she came towards him. Behind her trailed Mouna, the quiet young woman who talked with her hands.

He stiffened in response, turning dull eyes upon the pair. The first woman, whose floating name proclaimed her as Irhaa, wore a smile that quickly faded.

"Are you all right?" Her head barely reached his chest, causing her to tilt her head back so she could look at his face.

He nodded mutely. Don't think. Don't think.

Her closeness was too much, but his feet still lacked the ability to move. He took a sharp, shallow breath that caught in his throat.

The world felt like it spun around, yet it didn't. Everything was crumbling down and yet it wasn't. He wanted to cry, but this body's eyes remained clear and dry. Its heart beat calm and steady, even though he felt like screaming and curling up on the ground.

Nothing made sense. Nothing fit right. The disparity tore at him and he found himself wishing that he'd never logged into the game. It made it all so much worse.

"Hey," Irhaa laid a gentle hand on his arm. "You don't look well. What's going on?"

He shrugged, more to dislodge her hand than anything else. Irhaa's brow furrowed deeply, and she exchanged a glance with Mouna.