Rafael followed Leonel through the army lines with a solemn expression. Every now and then, his eyes would dart here and there under sheer anxiety with clear untrust in his eyes.
Even now, Rafael felt unsafe. Most likely due to the time spent in hell. In the meantime, he was relieved at the very least. Rafael had escaped hell, and not only that, but he obliterated their armies as well.
This gave him a sense of pride. He had achieved what others couldn't. However, his sense of relief was short-lived. Soon, as they moved through the raw path. Leonel reached a tent.
It was apparent to him at this point that this battle had started without any preparations. They were not in medieval times; they were in the modern era.
Except for the royals, no one used carriages. A typical battle had many facilities. And for such a massive war like this, Rafael thought that they would have loads of modern technologies ready at the service. However, it was the polar opposite.
Every now and then, he could see horses instead of army vehicles—lack of weaponry, equipment, and so forth. The medics didn't have their wands to heal, as some used their hands. Rafael saw all of this as he kept on moving on a grass greener than the leaves. A couple of minutes later, a tent came into view.
The tent was brownish from the exterior. In front of it, there were no guards whatsoever, which, for some reason, surprised Rafael.
The sun shined over Rafael as sweat drooped down his forehead. His throat suddenly started to feel raw as it began to become hard for him to breathe. As Rafael contemplated this, he decided it was not the time for contemplation and shrugged it off.
Soon, they reached the tent. However, before Leonel could enter. Rafael suddenly halted in his footsteps. Leonel turned around as his red hair waved in contrast to the blue sky. His robes flickered due to the speedy winds.
"I don't trust you," Rafael said as his eyes narrowed. Who knows what was waiting for him in there?
Leonel smiled, almost expectant.
"If we wanted to end you, we would have done it long before you expected," Leonel said with a tint of reassurance in his voice. Hearing his words, Rafael nodded. After all, if they wanted to kill him, they could've done it long before he was ready. After all, he was outnumbered.
As they entered, Rafael's eyes widened in surprise. Red carpets and comfy leather filled the room. On the corners were racks where some guns were hanging. In the middle was a bed and a chair in front of it. The bed had royal blue sheets filled with a rosy aroma.
In that instant, he suddenly felt many things at the same time. Hunger, fatigue, thirst. His lips went dry, and his eyes were squinted; dark bags appeared beneath it. Suddenly, he collapsed on the floor. The last thing he saw was Leonel suddenly catching him before his eyes closed.
Leonel immediately shouted for medics. In mere seconds, several men stood before him. Their heads bent down in respect as their white hoods came into view. Their faces were covered with dim shadows while their faces were pale.
Leonel nodded to one of them, seemingly allowing him to approach. Taking the sign, the white-hooded man stepped towards Rafael, who was lying on the bed.
The dark circles beneath his eyes had grown even darker. His hair was slowly turning from a snowing-tint white to grey; his breathing had become ragged as if each breath took a life out of him.
The white-hooded man, seeing this, immediately started muttering something inaudible. The other men also joined their comrades and did the same. Soon, a blue-white circle was started to appear, surrounding Rafael and the bed in it.
Instantly, a flash of blinding light illuminated the room. The white-hooded men immediately tried to protect their eyes from their hands. Leonel was in no better condition.
Soon, the light dimmed, fading away in mere moments. What came into view was Rafael's return to his original appearance. His hair had turned back to snowy white as the dark circles beneath his eyes faded away.
Soon, Rafael's eyes opened.