Gunter stood outside the room, the loud noises from inside had stopped, but he was still worried. It had been several months since Zeven's last major episode, and it seemed that tonight Chris was a direct contributor.
Zeven had had nightmares from even before he left the castle. He once told Gunter of the things he could remember when he awoke. The woman who haunted his dreams. It was something that he had to deal with almost nightly.
There were times it got so bad that Zeven refused to sleep for fear that he would see her. In those times, Gunter tried to be understanding. He would often sit up and read with Zeven or promise to be only a call away. Zeven's habit of falling asleep in any location began around that time. He would be too tired to move and simply passed out wherever he happened to be.
Even with those moments and struggles, it was much easier before Zeven's father demanded that Zeven join the military. At fifteen he was sent off to a training camp and never was the same again. He was away for an entire year. The next time Gunter saw him, he was two weeks past his sixteenth birthday. No longer a child.
When he returned, it was only for a few months and he was out most days. Gunter did not know the full effect his time away had had on him until Zeven woke him up screaming. Rushing to his side, Gunter could neither comfort nor wake Zeven from his nightmare.
Gunter sat beside him and waited for almost an hour until the dream had passed. But that was only the beginning of a vicious cycle. Days were long and silent and the nights were longer and deafening.
It took weeks before Zeven would even let Gunter touch him again. He never asked what had happened while he was away, he was too afraid what his answer might have been.
After waiting to see if the night terror had truly passed, Gunter finally left the hallway and went back to his own room. He had forgotten to close the door in his rush. He closed and locked it behind him as he entered his room.