"?"
"Atheline!"
Lilith caught him before he could collapse completely. Her composure had vanished, and only worry remained. She knelt beside him immediately, supporting his shoulders.
"What happened?"
He tried answering, but another cough interrupted him. More blood stained the front of his ceremonial robes. The nearby healers looked over in alarm.
"His Majesty!"
"Healer!"
"Hurry!"
Within seconds, several senior priests rushed toward them. The High King stepped forward.
"What happened?"
"I don't know," Lilith answered honestly. "He just..."
She looked at the blood covering his hand.
"...collapsed."
Atheline barely heard them. The world around him had become strangely distant. Voices echoed as though coming from the far end of a tunnel. His heartbeat sounded unnaturally loud.
Then... Absolute silence, even his own breathing disappeared.
