Head still ringing, Solomon coughed, spat, coughed again. His whole body pounded, and all of a sudden the dim simmer of the Temple around him felt like an oasis compared to Necromancy used actively beside him. His breathing ragged, arms shaking violently, Solomon nevertheless managed to push himself up and drag himself away from that corner.
There was no way he'd be able to get a handkerchief out of his pocket, if they'd even left him one, so he wiped the bloody tears off his face with his sleeve instead. He rested his forehead on his arm and just tried to breathe. Something close to a chuckle came out, a breathless bark of sardonic laughter.
"I'm hardly--capable of walking--even that far, Tenebrae. Even if ... I wanted to."
Because he didn't want to, he reminded himself, gritting his teeth at the slow way another wrack overtook him and made him bow into the floor. Reforging his cane was a simple answer. An easy answer that would enslave him forever to the Scream. He could hear it, even now, a dim never-ending buzz in his ears, too high and too discordant to get used to. It was a good reminder.
A good reminder he wasn't certain he would be able to endure for as long as he had to.
No. He didn't have to endure a day, or an hour, or even a minute. He just needed to endure this moment now, and this moment, and this moment, and every moment until there were none left. There was no point in looking ahead, when he had no idea what the future would hold. There was just now. Now was all he could handle.
Solomon took as deep and slow a breath as he could manage, a shuddering one that was echoed by the tremble in his limbs, and let it out equally slowly. His voice shook slightly from exhaustion, but his tone was even, if hoarse. "I won't."
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There was no way he'd be able to get a handkerchief out of his pocket, if they'd even left him one, so he wiped the bloody tears off his face with his sleeve instead. He rested his forehead on his arm and just tried to breathe. Something close to a chuckle came out, a breathless bark of sardonic laughter.
"I'm hardly--capable of walking--even that far, Tenebrae. Even if ... I wanted to."
Because he didn't want to, he reminded himself, gritting his teeth at the slow way another wrack overtook him and made him bow into the floor. Reforging his cane was a simple answer. An easy answer that would enslave him forever to the Scream. He could hear it, even now, a dim never-ending buzz in his ears, too high and too discordant to get used to. It was a good reminder.
A good reminder he wasn't certain he would be able to endure for as long as he had to.
No. He didn't have to endure a day, or an hour, or even a minute. He just needed to endure this moment now, and this moment, and this moment, and every moment until there were none left. There was no point in looking ahead, when he had no idea what the future would hold. There was just now. Now was all he could handle.
Solomon took as deep and slow a breath as he could manage, a shuddering one that was echoed by the tremble in his limbs, and let it out equally slowly. His voice shook slightly from exhaustion, but his tone was even, if hoarse. "I won't."