Through the weekend I spent my nights in Esmund's chamber. I utilised every minute voluntarily to aid Esmund in recovering his strength until he found me exploited and forced me to stop.
I never felt this exhausted before, not to an extent that when I feel like someone is trying to snatch my consciousness away from my head.
"Averell, are you dozing off again?" I can hear Esmund's voice from the lectern when he teases me in class; I can also hear the giggling my classmates let out in my surroundings.
"Aletris Averell…"
And at the same time, I can also hear several voices resonating in my head. They speak in distinctive tones and pitches, but they are all delivering the same message to me…
"Tuum tempus expletum est…"
"Ianua aperta est…"
"Nunc ad nos veni…"
Even in a language I am unfamiliar with, I can understand what they are conveying to me…
"Your time is up…"
"The gate is open…"
"Now come to us…"
