Prologue: Foolish

The room held its breath as the jolting pain coursed through Raven's chest. His body arched, a puppet manipulated by an unseen force, only to fall back to the bed. 

The collective gaze of the medical team remained fixed on the monitors, their faces etched with a blend of fear of failure and the risks they would bear for their inability to bring Raven back to life.

The doctor examined Raven's pupils, searching for any sign of responsiveness.

The stethoscope clung to their ears, capturing the erratic symphony of his struggling heartbeat.

His chest was pumped again.

Forced air surged into his lifeless lungs, a mechanical attempt to revive the dormant respiratory system.

Metal plates adhered, and a surge of electricity crackled across his chest like a bomb exploding in the core of his heart.

"Fuck. It hurts so much," Raven uttered in his unconscious state, a raw expression of agony echoing through the sterile environment.

Metal plates were affixed once more, adhering to Raven's chest like a final attempt to bridge the chasm between life and the looming embrace of death.

Then, the piercing whine of the defibrillator echoed again, an unsettling symphony of urgency in the sterile room.

His body convulsed violently, a marionette jerked by unseen strings, as the metal plates made contact with his skin.

"Pain. Dammit!" Raven's guttural cry reverberated through the clinical space, a raw expression of anguish that cut through the monotony of medical precision. 

In that moment, the room held its breath, suspended between the calculated maneuvers of the medical team and the visceral, unfiltered response of a life teetering on the precipice.

*

"RAVENNN, WAKE UPPPPP, YOU IDIOT!!!"

Raven's eyes shot open, wide, his throat constricting in an agonizing grip as the tubing in place strained against his now awakened airway. 

He groaned in visceral pain, the sound echoing through the room with a gut-wrenching intensity. 

Every fiber of his being seemed to protest the abrupt return to consciousness, the harsh clash between the agony of awakening and the relentless pursuit of life resuming its course.

"Raven!" Alaric locked eyes with him, a mixture of relief and concern etched on his face.

His large hands cradled Raven's head, a protective grip in the face of uncertainty. "Come on, it's not time to sleep."

With poorly coordinated movements fueled by the urgency of awakening, Raven clenched his teeth and pulled out the intubation tube.

The pain, an inferno of torment, surged through him, each inch of the tube resisting its extraction. The room seemed to pulse with the harsh reality of his awakening—a turbulent dance between the urgency of the moment and the excruciating pain of reclaiming consciousness.

The taste of metallic bitterness lingered as Raven gasped for air, the stark reminder of the battle fought and the price paid for his return from the abyss.

"Oh, ngfuck... ngfuck..." Raven's hoarse, strained voice filled the air, a feeble and ragged whisper against the clinical backdrop.

As he pulled out the tube, the pain was excruciating, a searing sensation that echoed through his entire being.

Tears involuntarily welled in his eyes, betraying the intensity of the torment he endured.

"Come on, you can do it, Raven. I know you can," Alaric's voice cut through the air, a lifeline of encouragement amidst the struggle.

"Damn it, it hurts," Raven muttered through gritted teeth, his voice a raw admission of the agonizing ordeal.

Simultaneously, Alaric deftly removed the intravenous line, the careful disconnection of cables a testament to his familiarity with the necessary medical procedures in this critical moment.

Each cable was detached with a precision that belied the urgency of the situation, a display of practiced expertise under duress.

"Easy, Raven. Easy," Alaric reassured, his hands working with a blend of urgency and gentle reassurance.

Raven's saliva intertwined with the forcibly removed tube, a visceral reminder of the harsh extraction. 

The room bore witness to the tumultuous struggle for breath and the tangible aftermath of pain, the chaotic endeavor to reclaim Raven from the clutches of unconsciousness. 

"Let's get out of here! Can you walk? I'll carry you if you can't. Let's go out together and keep on living."

Foolish. Alaric is foolish, Raven thought, the irony not lost on him as his savior insisted on facing the danger together.

"Come on, as long as they're not here, I don't know where they all went. Let's go, Raven. We're in this together until the end!" Alaric's voice held a resolute determination. 

"I never promised an end with you, idiot!" Raven's frustration boiled over. "How many times do I have to say I don't want to be with you? Are you deaf?! Why won't you listen to me just once, huh?"

"I don't care, Raven. I won't leave you. Come on, let's get out of here!" Alaric wrapped Raven's naked body in a white blanket, a makeshift shield against the harsh reality of their escape. 

With determined strength, he half-carried, half-dragged Raven down from the medical bed. 

The urgency in Alaric's actions transcended Raven's protests, a commitment that defied logic and echoed the depth of their connection. 

Raven's tall frame swayed dangerously, on the verge of stumbling forward and crashing onto the floor.

The potent effects of the strong sedative were evident, a routine administration of such drugs whenever he resisted cooperation.

"Oh, the powerful influence of those sleep-inducing medications," Raven thought with a bitter edge. 

He fought against the sluggishness in his limbs, attempting to maintain some semblance of control over his own body.

Alaric, undeterred, tightened his grip on Raven, preventing the impending fall.

"Steady, Raven. We're almost out of here," Alaric reassured, his words cutting through the haze of medication-induced drowsiness. 

The duo pressed on.

"There's no way out of here for both of us," Raven muttered, his words laced with resignation. "Leave me here."

"No way," Alaric mumbled unwavering even though he appeared perplexed, searching for an exit while supporting him. 

The surroundings blurred as the sedative's influence intensified, creating a disorienting dance between consciousness and the abyss.

"Raven, I'm not leaving you behind," Alaric insisted, his voice cutting through the haze. "We'll find a way out together."

As Alaric guided Raven through the labyrinthine passages, their steps echoed a hushed defiance against the systematic attempts to control and manipulate.

"We have to keep moving," Alaric urged, his determination palpable. "We'll find a way to break free from this place."

"Foolish. You shouldn't have bothered to pick me up," Raven spat with a bitterness that mirrored the tang of the antiseptic air.

"I couldn't just leave you," Alaric retorted, his gaze unwavering despite the tumultuous circumstances.

"I didn't ask to be saved."

Raven's reluctance echoed in the harshness of his retorts.

Alaric's words, on the other hand, cut through the air with a determined resolve, a commitment that refused to be shaken by Raven's protests.

"I know, but I don't care! I told you, let's face it all until the end together! I wanna spend the rest of my life with you! I have to be with you or nothing at all."

***