The pain is excruciating. Your whole body aches as if every muscle has a cramp.
Everything is pitch black and your ears are filled with a myriad of screams that combine into one high-pitched hum.
Every breath is a struggle, as if some force pushes down on your ribcage, squeezing the air out of you.
"Can you hear me? Can you hear me?" a distant female voice echoes quietly through the noise.
You only have enough strength to let out a low, pained groan in response.
"You are alive! Thank gods!" the voice rejoices and you feel something warm press against your side, a vast contrast to the cold void that fills the rest of your senses.
You slowly open your eyes and see a delicate elven girl staring at you with an expression of relief on her face.
She has dark circles around her eyes as if she hadn't slept in years, her hair is tangled up and her black robe is dirty and torn, but somehow this does not diminish her beauty.
You remember her. She... is Yvonne, a healer who was hired alongside you.
It was supposed to be a simple mission. You and a couple of other novice adventurers were to enter the mine and drive out the squatting goblins. You had an experienced leader and a healer.
But as soon as you saw her you were enchanted - you kept glancing at her unwillingly on your way to the mine. And she even smiled back at you...
Foolishly, you decided to charge into a couple of goblins to show off your bravery and, perhaps, win her favor. The last thing you remember is your leader shouting "Wait!" and then the sword running you through from the back.
An orc was waiting in an ambush and he struck you from behind.
"I... survived?" you whisper under your breath.
"Y-yea..." Yvonne responds, but her gaze moves to the side, avoiding you.
"I thought that wound was fatal."
"Don't worry about it now. What matters is that you are alive." she smiles and looks at you again.
You can't help but smile in return. Overcoming the pain, you lift your arm and hug her gently by the shoulders. The elven maiden responds by closing her eyes and snuggling against you.
If now you can be with her, all this pain was worth it.
Looking around the room, you see it's some kind of cavern. On the ground, beneath the stone walls, corpses of people lie, in the pools of their own blood, their hands and feet are tied together.
From under the blood strange runic marks written with chalk extend and crisscross the floor, their paths seemingly end under the black stone pedestal on which you lie.
"Who are... were those people? What happened?" you ask her.
Yvonne's expression shifts from a careless bliss to something between gravity and annoyance.
"They... didn't make it." she says, looking away.
"What is this place?"
"It's... a burial chamber, in a way. But you are alive now, so let's leave. Can't have you buried with the rest." the girl smiles awkwardly and puts your arm over her shoulders, helping you to stand up from the altar.
You two slowly shuffle toward the exit, the smell of warm summer air gradually replaces the dank reek of the underground cavern.
"How long have I been out for?"
"Umm... I will explain everything later, for now just concentrate on getting better. Your body is still weak from this ordeal."
Emerging from the cave you see yourself amidst a lush verdant forest. As you breathe in the sweet scent of potpourri the pain slowly starts to leave your body and your eyes adjust to the light of the midday sun that pierces the forest canopy.
"Here, sit down and rest." Yvonne leads you toward a fallen sycamore lying nearby, gently supporting you all the way until you sit down.
"You don't have to hide anything. I think I understand what you did." you say to her calmly.
The girl's eyes widen and she starts to stutter.
"I just... it's not... it's only so you..."
"Don't worry, I am not judging you. How can I." you take her hand in yours and smile at her wearily "In fact, I don't think I will ever be able to repay you for such kindness."
Yvonne exhales with relief. She sits down on the log beside you and nestles under your arm, but instead of supporting you like before she leans lightly onto you for support - more of a gesture than anything.
"I take payments in kisses and hugs." she says softly, blushing a little bit "You have quite a debt to repay, so you better start now."