Caelum collapsed three hours later.
It was not the dramatic, cinematic fall one might expect from a man who had just crossed a mountain range while bleeding. Instead, his knees simply unlocked, and he folded toward the dirt like a cooling candle.
According to Aldric, this was a significant waste of narrative potential.
"I genuinely expected a speech," Aldric complained. He was currently trying to peer over Mara's shoulder while she worked, and she shoved him away from the treatment table for the third time. "Something tragic. Maybe poetic. At the very minimum, a mysterious final sentence before fainting."
"I'm not dying," Caelum muttered. His voice was thin, filtered through the fabric of the cot.
"That remains medically unconfirmed," Aldric countered.
Mara glared at Aldric. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and her patience had clearly evaporated hours ago. "You are contaminating the patient with stupidity."
