Chapter 28: Effects become worse.
Chapter 28: Effects become worse.
While in the carriage, Osborne lay on one of the two seats, curled and clutching his shaking body.
Every few seconds he would open his eyes and grit his teeth, trying his best to stay awake.
But each time he fell asleep, he would wake up shortly after.
After so many trails, Osborne realised a few things. That whenever he fell unconscious/asleep.
The dagger would drag him into that nightmarish world.
Each time he would kill himself to wake up, only to be dragged in when he fell asleep by accident.
It was like a never ending act of torture, in which he couldn’t get any sleep no matter how much he tried.
Nevertheless, that still didn’t stop him from continuously trying.
His fear of dying again in the nightmare world forced him to kill himself each time he wounded up back in it.
Osborne’s despair even grew so much that he began clawing at his own body in an attempt to use the pain to stay awake.
And so, the night passed on.
*********
The next morning....
" Hwaaa." Natalie yawned, covering her mouth with one hand as she sat up straight.
" Look who’s finally awake."
" Still grumpy even now."
" You made me stand watch all night." Clawdeth gave her a plain look.
" Uh uh uh." Natalie wagged a finger Infront of her. " We promised to take turns each night keeping watch, don’t blame me because I was the one who stood watch it last time." Natalie said.
" Aren’t you going to go check up on him."
" Huh? What for, Did anything happen while I was asleep?" Natalie asked, blinking her eyes.
" Wouldn’t you have woken up on your own if that were the case." Clawdeth rolled her eyes.
Natalie glanced at the carriage before getting up and approaching it.
Knock~ Knock~ Knock~
She knocked on the door before saying. " Young master, are you up."
Natalie said but she heard no reply. She turned to look at Clawdeth who simply shrugged.
" Maybe he’s still asleep." Natalie mouthed.
" Let’s just check to be sure." She muttered to herself before opening the door.
" W-What in the gods name happened!" Natalie was shocked to see Osborne curled on his seat with bloodstains on his seat as well as on the floor and walls.
" Y-Your’re awake..." Osborne felt a draft come him so he sat up straight, only to see Natalie at the door.
’ Did he do all this to himself?’ Natalie’s expression turned worried when she saw Osborne unconsciously scratching his left hand.
His sleeves rose just a bit for her to see the ruined skin beneath.
’ Why does it look like he didn’t sleep at all?’ She also noticed his pale complexion as well as the dark bags beneath his eyes.
" I’m sorry, D-Did I wake you?" Osborne got up from the seat and began walking towards her, while still clawing at his arms.
Even as his sleeves only got more stained because of it, he didn’t seem to mind at all.
" Young master, please seat down, you don’t look like you’re in a position to be moving right now." Natalie helped support him.
’ How much blood has he lost by now...’
She led him back to his seat before carefully helping him down.
" I still have some elixirs left so you needn’t worry–"
" E-Elixirs? Do you have that one from before too!" Osborne grabbed both her shoulders, his pupils dilated with unnatural excitement.
" I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to." But the moment he realised what he was doing, he shrunk back.
" It’s alright Young master." Natalie said with a reassuring voice, scooting closer to show him that she wasn’t upset.
" If you’re asking about the sedatives, I still have some on me, but I’m afraid I don’t exactly have enough to last us throughout the trip, so you’ll need to use it sparingly."
" R-Really?" Osbornes eyes widened, hope returning once more.
" What on earth happened here!!!!" But an angry voice interrupted the both of them.
Clawdeth stood by the door with an unhappy look on her face.
" Clawdeth, lower your voice, need I remind you that you’re in the presence of the young master." Natalie gave her a look.
" Are you joking, look what he did!" Clawdeth gritted her teeth in frustration. " Why are you so calm right now, it’s obvious he was trying to kill himself!"
" I don’t give a shit if he dies, but if he does it on my mission, then it’s me who’ll be punished."
" Don’t you mean our mission."
" Who cares!" Clawdeth said, pointing at Osborne. " Stop protecting him and tie this crazy bastard up! If we don’t, he might really kill himself next time."
" No one’s tying up anyone!" Natalie yelled, before glaring at Clawdeth. " I think you’ve said enough. Since you’re not willing, I’ll stay in the carriage with the young master, you can go on and drive the carriage."
Hearing her words, Clawdeth gnashed her teeth, glaring at her and Osborne.
Facing her cold stare, Osborne didn’t seem that much affected, simply blinking his eyes.
His calm reaction only made her even more annoyed.
" I’m serious, if he ends up dying on the way back! I’m not going to cover for you, just remember that!" Clawdeth said before stepping out and closing the carriage door.
Right after, Osborne shook in his seat for a moment as the Carriage came to life again.
" Here." Natalie took out two viles. She passed one to him. " You need only take one drop of that one. I’ll apply the other one to your injuries." She said.
Osborne nodded yet his eyes never left the sedative potion.
While he yearned so much for a good rest, he
didn’t let that cloud his judgement.
Just like she said, he took only a drop of the potion.
The moment he did, he suddenly felt lighter, the world around him beginning to spin a little.
" I’ll take that." Natalie acted quickly and grabbed the sedative potion before he dropped it, she then stored it inside her cloth.
" I’m sorry if this method is rather unhygienic young master, but please bear with me." Natalie held the sedated Osborne down before carefully taking off his top.