Issac groaned as his eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by the familiar sight of the church ceiling. He felt a sudden splash of cold water on his face, followed by a burning sensation on his skin. He realized he was submerged in the pool of healing water, again. He could breathe underwater, thanks to the magic, but he felt suffocated by the pain. He wished he could just die and end this cycle of suffering.
"You idiot! You reckless fool! Do you have any idea what you've done?" Azora's voice pierced his ears like a dagger. She was standing by the pool, her eyes blazing with anger and worry. "You broke the most sacred rule of our order! You interfered with the fate of this world! Do you know what that means? We could be banished from this place, or excommunicated! How are we supposed to stop the prophecy from coming true if we're dead?" Azora clenched her fists and took a deep breath. "I'm glad you saved him, I really am. But you can't do this again. Ever. Now go, leave me alone. I need to think."
Who was she talking to? He tried to lift his head, but he felt too weak. He saw a shadowy figure standing behind Azora, wearing a hooded cloak. The Watcher. The mysterious person who had given him the dagger hilt in the woods. The one who had defied the rules and changed his destiny. Why did they do it? What did they want from him? He had so many questions, but no answers. He felt his consciousness fading away, as he sank into the depths of the water.
He jolted awake, gasping for air. He looked around, confused and disoriented. He was lying on a bed in a small room, with a window overlooking the garden. He recognized it as the guest room he had been assigned to in the church. But there was something different. A man was sitting on a chair next to the bed, watching him with a bored expression.
"Ah, you're finally awake," Matthaus said. "You've been sleeping for two days straight. Azora was worried sick about you. She asked us to keep an eye on you and let her know when you woke up." He pointed at his arm, which was wrapped in a bandage. "You were badly injured, you know. You're lucky to be alive." He leaned forward and looked at him intently. "So, tell me. What happened to you in the woods? Azora said The Watcher saved you from some kind of monster. Is that true?"
Issac nodded slowly, trying to process everything. He remembered the horror of the beast that attacked him in the woods, and the sudden appearance of The Watcher who saved him. He also remembered the angry words of Azora, who scolded The Watcher for breaking the rules.
"Who exactly is The Watcher?" he asked, curious and confused.
Matthaus gave him a thoughtful look, and reached for a glass of water on the table. He handed it to him, and he drank it gratefully. His throat was dry and sore.
"Well, The Watchers are a group of beings that work for the gods. For some unknown reason, the gods can no longer enter the mortal realm. There are many theories about why, but no one knows for sure. So, they send The Watchers to be their eyes and ears in this world. They are cosmic beings, like the gods, and almost as powerful."
"Then why don't they do something about The Endless Night? If they have so much power, why don't they stop this madness?" He felt a surge of anger and frustration. He hated living in fear of the dark, of the monsters that lurked in it.
"They follow a strict set of rules laid out by the gods. The most important one is that they cannot interfere with the mortal realm. They are only meant to observe and report. That's why this situation is so unusual."
"This situation?" he repeated, looking at him with a questioning gaze.
"Your survival." Matthaus said, staring back at him with a serious expression.
"How do you know all this?" he asked, feeling a bit suspicious.
"I have to go get Azora." Matthaus said abruptly, standing up from his chair. He headed for the door, but before he left, he turned to look at him one more time. "What makes you so important that a Watcher would risk their oath for you?"
He felt overwhelmed by all of this. It seemed like just yesterday he was living on the streets, stealing for his next meal. Now he was involved in some cosmic drama, with gods and Watchers and prophecies. Things were happening way too fast for him, and he had no idea what to do. He hated waiting. He always got restless and anxious. He imagined a million different outcomes in his head, none of them good. By the time Azora arrived at his room, he had given himself a headache.
The door swung open with a bang. She stood in the doorway, wearing the same dazzling smile he had grown fond of. "You look much better. How are you feeling? Can you move your arm alright?" She walked over and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's sore but I'll live."
"I heard about what happened from The Watcher, so you don't have to explain." She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, and her face in her hands. "I don't know if Matthaus told you, but we could be in a lot of trouble. Because The Watcher did something he shouldn't have."
"He saved me."
"Yes, and I'm very glad you're not dead. But we could lose everything because of this. My visions, our powers, our contract with the gods. It could all be nullified now."
"So what do we do?" He asked, feeling helpless.
She shook her head slowly in her hands. "Not much we can do. We have to stick to the plan. We'll leave in four days to try and save the city from the darkness. Anything else we'll have to deal with as it comes. But enough of that for now," Azora stood up, stretching and bouncing on her feet. "Come on, can you get up? Eri was worried sick about you, and there's still a lot of work to be done."
He guessed she was right. For now, it was the same as before. Just go with the flow. He got up from the bed, feeling a bit dizzy. He followed Azora out of the room, and into the hallway.
He saw Eri waiting for them, with a weary expression on her face. She walked up to him and gave him a weak smile.
"I'm glad you're okay. I was worried when I heard what happened." She said, her voice low. Issac nodded, feeling a bit awkward. He didn't know how to respond to her. She seemed tired, as usual. She was always tired, for some reason. He wondered what was wrong with her, but he didn't know how to ask her.
"Come on, let's go. We have a lot to do." Azora said, leading them down the stairs.
They followed her to the main hall…