🥱 - Sleep deprivation (I lied, I'm sending 3 instead of twoXD♥️) Thanks again!
Thanks again for your asks! This was fun!
Ventis, Onthyes, and Shayah have been holed up in this partially collapsed watchtower for three days now.
Wind howls through cracks in the stone, fluttering the torn edges of old banners. It's freezing, dark, and nowhere close to safe, but it's the only barrier between them and whatever the thing was that tore through their last camp like paper.
Shayah sleeps light, still in her armor, her axe within arm's reach. Onthyes squats in front of the fire, warming his hands. Onthyes glances over at Ventis-
"I'm fine," Ventis says before Onthyes can voice his question. "I've got it."
He's sitting against a wall, one leg outstretched and the other bent. His palms are cupped around a little ball of glowing blue magic. It flickers like a candle flame, casting an eerie light up onto his face. Right now, this ball of magic is the one thing keeping their enemy from sensing their location and coming for them again.
"You haven't slept in days."
"Well, I've still got it."
Ventis isn't sure that that's even true. He's still awake, sure. He's still fueling the wards around their hiding place. But Onthyes is right. It's been days. It's been days and he hasn't slept at all.
"Ventis..." Onthyes stands and goes over to him, lowering himself to lean against the wall just next to him.
Ventis leans into Onthyes's shoulder. He's toasty warm from being by the fire, and immediately Ventis feels his eyes closing, the urge to doze off here overwhelming.
He jolts upright, his head spinning from the motion. The sphere of light flickers dangerously, and he steadies it by sheer will alone. He can't afford to sleep now. His friends need him to keep this ward alive.
Ventis grits his teeth. "I'm fine," he says again, but his words come out slurred.
Onthyes doesn't say anything for a moment, doesn't move away either. He watches Ventis, scanning him with worry pinching his brow.
"You're not," Onthyes says gently. "You're shaking."
Ventis lets out a stuttering exhale through his nose. "Just... tired."
"I can't." Tears of frustration sting at Ventis's eyes against his will. "The ward-"
"I'll wake up Shayah. The two of us can keep watch the old fashioned way while you rest up."
Ventis shakes his head. Onthyes doesn't understand. He can't just sleep, knowing that his friends are waiting for some unknown force to tear them apart. He pulls the ball of magic closer to his chest, drawing both knees up.
"No. I can feel it, Onthyes. Something's looking for us. It's after us. If I let go, even for a second-"
His voice is trembling now, frayed at the edges. Onthyes reaches for his shoulder and Ventis flinches hard. The magic flares, then gutters like a lamp in the wind. His breath catches. His vision goes dark for less than a second and when it returns, he can't feel his hands.
The magic flickers again. Ventis's limbs buzz.
"I can't," Ventis gasps, panic rising in his chest. "I can't feel my hands."
"Ventis," Onthyes's voice is suddenly stern as he grabs his wrist. "You're done."
"Shayah, wake up," Onthyes barks.
Shayah is up instantly, axe in hand.
"It's okay, Ventis. We can handle it."
Ventis lets his head thump back on the wall, unable to hold it up anymore. Onthyes and Shayah stand back to back, weapons drawn.
And nothing comes. No sudden attack, nothing but a distant chirping of frogs and the crackle of the fire.
Ventis sags forward. Onthyes rushes to catch him before he can hit the ground. His skin is cold and clammy, his breathing quick and shallow.
"See?" Onthyes is panting, forced sunniness barely covering his unease. "Whatever it is, it lost interest. You did great, Ventis."
Ventis swallows back a sob. Now that he's not focusing on the spell, he can really feel just how tired he is. His vision fades in and out, a strange buzzing taking over his hearing.
"Yeah. You can sleep now."
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