Whoosh-
Only after half a minute did Lorne slowly let out a long breath, gradually settling his turbulent emotions.
He turned to look at Klein, who stood nearby, and Doctor Aaron, who was still slumped on the ground. Both wore expressions of undisguised astonishment.
"Sorry. Seeing something like this makes it hard to control my emotions. It reminded me of-that night at Capim Villa." Lorne offered an apologetic smile and a seemingly reasonable explanation.
"Mm... Scott must have seen something similar that day, after all." Klein nodded in understanding. He walked over to Doctor Aaron, bent down, and held out a hand. "There's nothing to be afraid of. He's already dead."
"...That's precisely what makes it frightening." Doctor Aaron had calmed down a little. Rather than accept Klein's help, he braced his hands against the ground and got up himself.
What a shame to get that outfit dirty... Looking at the doctor's expensive formal attire, now covered in dirt and grass clippings, Klein felt a pang of regret.
Seeing that Doctor Aaron was still shaken, he smiled and offered another suggestion. "At times like this, praying to the deity you believe in can help."
"That's right," Lorne agreed. Whether it actually worked or not, it could at least offer a little psychological comfort.
"Really?" Doctor Aaron paused, then tapped his chest four times in a clockwise direction and recited softly, "Evernight Goddess, more exalted than the stars and more enduring than eternity, your devout believer prays for your grace..."
Klein also made a show of tracing the Triangular Sacred Emblem over his chest, murmuring a prayer.
Should I pray too...? Seeing this, Lorne tapped his own chest four times.
"Evernight Goddess, your devout-your not-so-devout-your possibly-devout-in-the-future believer prays for your grace."
Remembering that he was a believer in name only who