[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78: A Long Sleep

The long eyelashes quivered as they slowly fluttered open, revealing dazed blue eyes.

A dull ache throbbed at the back of Xion’s head, and his body felt strangely heavy as if he had been asleep for ages. The lingering traces of a dream slipped from his grasp like water through his fingers.

He frowned. What was it? He had seen something... someone... but the details eluded him. Nevertheless, one thing remained. The vivid warmth he felt seemed to linger in his heart.

The scent of aged wood and melted candle wax filled his nose as he blinked away the haze clouding his mind.

The ceiling above him was cracked, its once-white paint peeling away to reveal the bare structure underneath.

The window frames were empty, void of glass, allowing the breeze and dust to float lazily in the dim morning light.

Where am I?

Slowly, Xion pushed himself off the big stone slab surrounded by candles and a few fruits. He noticed he was sleeping on the altar. It felt as if he were being sacrificed to the goddess.

His fingers curled against the cold surface beneath him. It was then that his eyes landed on the lone statue standing before him. He had to tilt his head slightly to take in the proper look.

It was a woman draped in a long, flowing gown. Her face was hidden beneath a delicate veil. Her long hair cascaded down to her knees, a few strands curling over her shoulders.

Though her features were obscured, an inexplicable warmth spread through Xion’s chest as he looked at her.

He liked her. He, who had spent the majority of his life hating gods, found himself at ease in the presence of Goddess Myrthia. How bizarre...

It was an instant feeling, an odd familiarity that settled in his bones. He had seen her before. He was sure of it. But just like the dream he had moments ago, the memory remained frustratingly out of reach.

His gaze shifted downward, taking in the rectangular empty hall around him. The church was small. It was barely large enough to fit a handful of devotees.

Five wooden benches lined the stone floor, aged and worn from time, yet sturdy. A few candles flickered weakly before the goddess and at the altar, casting long shadows on the walls. There was nothing particularly grand about the building itself.

Who left me here? He had no recollection of coming to this place.

Was it Rael?

Rael! Noxian!

Xion’s eyes darted around, frantically searching for the familiar little figures of the two children he had last seen before... before what? His head throbbed as he tried to recall.

Ah, it was Ferni. And then those people attacked them before he fell asleep. It was strange he did not wake up gasping from nightmares like he would usually do.

Much to his surprise, there was no one. The small church was empty.

His gaze fell back on the statue, and once again, a strange sensation bubbled up inside him. A memory. Or perhaps, just a feeling.

The veil... the flowing gown... Then, like a piece of the puzzle falling into place, it became recognizable.

The woman who kidnapped me... wasn’t she dressed like this too?

Shit! Did I get kidnapped again?! Xion thought in a frenzy. In his hasty actions to get up, he knocked the bowl filled with water to the ground.

Crash!

The bowl shattered against the stone floor. The sound echoed through the empty church like thunder. It was too loud. Too sharp.

It made his head spin, and instinctively, he clamped his hands over his ears.

"Brother! You are awake!"