He can hardly feel Lan Wangji's hand on his arm. They're too late, after all. If they hadn't stopped in Novigrad, hadn't waited a night to lift the curse from Uma, hadn't been dragged aside to an audience with Emhyr –
Geralt glances at the door, his chest rising and falling with shallow, rapid breaths, then meets Lan Wangji's eyes before he sets a hand on the younger man's forearm. He squeezes it, lightly, before gently – achingly gentle, for the witcher – lifting it free of his own. Turning, as slow as a man in a dream, he faces the door as he would his own doom.
One step, then another. He curls his fingers into fists at his sides as he comes closer, but he finds, at the last, that he can't bear to take the last step, to reach up and push the door open.
He doesn't know where he finds the strength, but at last he sets his hand to the wood and pushes, slow and gentle. The creaking door moves, spilling dim light into the dark cabin. It falls on an old table, a cold fireplace.
And, finally, on a figure huddled without movement or sign of life on a wooden bed across from the door, the murky light reflecting off her ashen hair.
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Geralt glances at the door, his chest rising and falling with shallow, rapid breaths, then meets Lan Wangji's eyes before he sets a hand on the younger man's forearm. He squeezes it, lightly, before gently – achingly gentle, for the witcher – lifting it free of his own. Turning, as slow as a man in a dream, he faces the door as he would his own doom.
One step, then another. He curls his fingers into fists at his sides as he comes closer, but he finds, at the last, that he can't bear to take the last step, to reach up and push the door open.
He doesn't know where he finds the strength, but at last he sets his hand to the wood and pushes, slow and gentle. The creaking door moves, spilling dim light into the dark cabin. It falls on an old table, a cold fireplace.
And, finally, on a figure huddled without movement or sign of life on a wooden bed across from the door, the murky light reflecting off her ashen hair.