Rayla x Callum (Rayllum)

~ Aaravos... ~

Callum awoke to the sun's mellow morning rays warming his face. He reached his arm over next to him, only to feel an empty bed. Where was Rayla? He thought but didn't need to look far. The young moonshadow elf was sitting at the desk in the corner of their room, nose buried in what looked like thousands of books.

"Hey Ray, how'd you sleep?" Callum asked, peaking his head around one of the many towers of books around her.

"Didn't," Rayla said, eyes never leaving the crinkled page of elven runes in front of her.

"What do you mean you didn't sleep? We're you reading all night?" 

"Yeah." She said in a dull tone, obviously preoccupied.

"Well I'm going down to the bakery to get a loaf of bread and some jelly tarts, wanna come?"

"No, I'm good."

With that Callum left. It was apparent to him that she did not want to be disturbed, and he hoped that leaving her for a couple of hours would help her snap out of it. But subconsciously he knew that he was only leaving because he needed time to come up with a plan to support the woman he loved so dearly.

Sometimes he hated the fact that everyone knew he was a prince because everybody would greet him so formally as he walked past them. He had enjoyed his and Rayla's quest to Xadia, no one knew who he was, and he was free to be something other than the prince of Katolis.  He pondered what he was going to say to Rayla when he got home when suddenly he was pulled behind one of the many town buildings by someone. He yanked his arm from their grasp and turned to see who it was. 

"Claudia?" Callum said, astonished that she had the audacity to come back here after what she did to Rayla.

"C-Callum, you need to listen to me..." She exclaimed, voice trembling. 

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days; not to mention the cuts and bruises scattered across her arms and face. As much as Callum despised her he couldn't just leave her like this.

"What's wrong? You can't just come back here-" 

"He's coming, Callum... stronger than ever... h-he'll kill us all..." She was shaking and before Callum could get a straight answer from her, she collapsed.

"Claudia!" Callum exclaimed, rushing to her side, "Someone help!"

----------

Rayla had gone through just about every book she could find, but she still came up empty-handed. At this point, she wondered if Runaan would ever escape this awful prison. Rayla got up and walked over to the bookshelf; there was nothing left, and she realised what a toll this was taking on her, she was mentally and physically drained. But most of all she recognised how much she was hurting Callum, she had barely talked to him for the past few days. You're such an idiot Rayla! He's just been trying to help you but you keep pushing him away! I need to go find him and apologise. She thought to herself.

She walked around town trying to recall where Callum had said he was going that morning. The Nexis? No, why would he go there? Oh! The bakery! She began to walk in the direction of the bakery when all of a sudden she heard a cry for help. She couldn't make out the name that was said, all she heard was "Someone help!" That was Callum's voice!  Her steady walk turned to a sprint and she ran in the direction his voice came from.

"Callum!" She yelled as she ran around the corner, "What's wrong?"

"Rayla? It's-"

"Claudia..." She hissed.

"Stop being petty! Can't you see she needs help!" Callum's voice was angrier than she expected.

"But I-"

"Just help me already! You can protest later!" Callum snapped.

With that Rayla was silent. They took an arm each and carried her over their shoulders, and made their way to the nearest hospital.

----------

"Callum, what were you thinking!" Rayla shouted loudly.

"She collapsed on the ground, what was I supposed to do?!" Callum yelled back

"I don't-"

"You know what? Why do you even care what I did considering you haven't had an actual conversation with me in days!"

"Um, am I interrupting something?" The doctor said nervously as she came through the door.

"Actually ye-" Rayla began,

"No, we're done here" Callum cut in, "What's wrong? Is she ok?"

"She's fine, a few superficial cuts and bruises, nothing serious. It was the exhaustion that caused her to collapse." The doctor explained, "She wants to talk to you"

Callum walked through the door without taking a second glance towards Rayla, she felt like she had been shot through the chest. She ran out, tears dripping down her cheeks. How the hell was she going to make it up to him?

"Callum thank god!" Claudia exclaimed, "You need to help me, he's coming"

"Who's coming?" He asked concerned, "What happened to you, Claudia?"

"Aaravos..."