☀️ Arselia and Akonia

[DATA EXPUNGED]

Guion woke up with a groan. He had almost forgotten the events of that terrible night, but his tormented mind decided that now would be an excellent time to remind him of everything in detail. It was as if he could feel again that cold, that pain, the metal collar digging into his neck, and the grasping hands of the bandits who twisted him around like a doll. As if his present suffering weren't enough...
The young man tried to sit up, but all he managed was to crawl a few centimeters up the pillow, and it felt like his insides were seared by molten lava from that small effort. He sank back onto the pillow and tried to catch his breath, but quickly had to temper his efforts — every even slightly deep inhale still caused terrible pain. He wanted to cry from the pain and his own helplessness.
Somehow pulling the blanket higher (the chills were still wracking him), Guion squinted, trying to make out the shapes of objects. It seemed lighter now, but the murky blur before his eyes stubbornly remained a set of spots, refusing to take on any recognizable forms. Perhaps this was better than total blindness, but hardly much so.
 - Useless, - Guion exhaled through clenched teeth, closing his eyes again.