Marmoris | Rabastan Lestrange [1] ✔︎

47 | BLOOD

Dawn hadn't exaggerated when she told them she could get the information about the elvish legend in no time, as Phoenix was storming towards a classroom only a few days later, holding a piece of parchment in her hand. A smile was placed on her lips as her feet pounded against the floor, thrilled to tell Rabastan the news, although she didn't plan on telling him where she had got it from. She burst through the door without even knocking and it crashed against the wall behind it.

"The legend fits. People don't have to be of elvish blood to inherit both angelic and demonic powers," she exclaimed excitedly.

For a second she saw black dots invading her visions and she leaned against the doorframe for support. Phoenix blinked several times and they disappeared, leaving her with the conclusion that running had exhausted her more than she had thought. It was only then that she realised that something was off. The room lay in darkness, which was already odd, but it wasn't empty. There was a figure sitting in the far corner, sagged against the wall, their head hanging low. Her eyes widened when she recognised the blonde hair, which stood out against the darkness. She banged the door shut and sprinted across the room to fall onto her knees next to her friend.

"Rabastan?" She touched his arm and he slowly lifted his head.

Even in the darkness she could see his eyes swimming in tears, a view which was strangely familiar although she had never seen him cry before – not in reality anyways, as she had been haunted by strange dream visions of people dying or crying. He looked miserable, his cheeks glistening from tear streams and his eyes filled with agony.

"What happened? What's wrong?" she inquired, inching closer and placing a hand on his wet cheek.

"I don't know."

He whimpered, leaning into her touch. She didn't stop him and hugged him gently. She felt his body shake against hers when he choked the next words out. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Nix. Why am I like this?"

Phoenix felt her eyes sting but she tried to fight the urge to cry. "It's alright. You don't have to be strong all the time."

"There's this sadness in me. It won't go away no matter how hard I fight it."

His shoulders shook in sobs and a silent tear ran down her cheek. What was she supposed to do? She had never expected to experience something like this and she had no clue how to handle it. So, she said nothing and gently placed her head on top of his, softly caressing his arm.

"I constantly let people down," Rabastan continued, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Don't say that," Phoenix breathed, moving away from him. "Why do you think so lowly of yourself?"

It was overwhelming to see him giving away his deepest emotions, as he had hardly ever let her in on his true feelings. He always kept that façade of strength on his face and seeing him like that made her shake in fear, in fear of not being able to do anything to help him, of being helpless.

"Because it's true. I always make the wrong choices."

"What happened?"

She grabbed him as his body slowly fell to the side. Phoenix felt something wet against her hand as she brushed his side in an attempt to steady him. Hastily she lifted her hand, only to realise that it was covered in a dark liquid. Blood. Just as the thought rushed through her mind, she felt a heavy headache rolling over her.

She gritted her teeth and murmured. "Not now."

She tried to lean Rabastan's limb body against the wall. His eyes were only half opened as he whispered. "I don't matter."

"Of course you do," Phoenix exclaimed, another tear trailing down her cheek. "Please, we have to get you help."

He didn't answer and as she looked up at him she saw that his eyes were closed. She shook him by his shoulder. "Rabastan!"

Panic rushed through her body like fire and she pulled up his shirt to reveal the side of his stomach being covered in even more blood. "No, no, no."

She turned around looking for something to press against the wound. There was nothing. It was one of the abandoned classrooms, which were barely used anymore. The bookshelves and the desks were empty. She sprinted to the door and opened it, while yelled. "Help. Please, I need help here."

There was no answer, but she hoped that the portraits on the walls would pass the word on. She took off her jumper and pushed back the sleeves of her white blouse. She returned to Rabastan's side, her heart beating heavily in her chest. She had believed that everything would be alright from now on and now the exact scene from her nightmare was happening. Every detail fit; his torso covered in blood, the way he was leaning on the wall and his tear covered cheeks. It made Phoenix' stomach turn and she wanted to throw up.

However, she sat down on his side once again, whispering. "You'll be okay. You are worth saving. You have to keep fighting. Please, Rabastan."

She pressed her jumper against his side to stop the wound from bleeding, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hadn't expected their meeting to go that way. She had expected to see him smile at her excitement, but instead she was sitting by his unconscious body, just after hearing him confess how little value he saw in himself.

"Help," she yelled once again before whispering into the silence. "I can't lose you. You're too important to me."

She felt the blood drenching her jumper within minutes. In desperation she grabbed his hand. There was only one option left. She closed her eyes and imagined the ball of light, before she opened the wall around it, picturing it as it entered Rabastan's body. She opened her eyes to see he was in fact glowing. Next thing she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen as if somebody would cut her with a knife over and over, and whimpered.

Phoenix heard footsteps outside of the classroom and people shouting when it felt like someone stabbed her in the side and she screamed out in pain. Her vision went black and she heard somebody yell, "There they are!"

Then she hit the ground and everything was gone.