Gasp and horror! Bad, evil, naughty Cael!!! In case you're wondering, his name is pronounced Kay-el... *shrug* ANYWAY! Bad, bad, bad Cael! And, oh no! He's taking over Gourry's spirit? Whatever shall we do???
Gourry woke up, and looked around. All around him was blackness. He called out Lina's name, but his voice seemed to die away before it even left his mouth. He tried to move, but it felt like something was forcing him down.
After blinking a few times, Gourry saw two lights around him. One was above him, and the other was to one side. The one above him seemed to be covered by a dark curtain, and was barely visible, while the one to the side was bright and welcoming.
His first act would have been to go towards the brighter light, but something held him back. Something told him to head for the dim light. So, with great effort, Gourry started inching his way up towards the shaded light.
Whatever was forcing him back was very strong. He could barely move under the force. He wondered where he was, what he was doing there, and where Lina had gotten to. How had he ended up in that dark place, and Lina hadn't?
Above him, the light got a tiny bit closer, but he still couldn't reach it. Gourry struggled to stretch one arm out, and tried to grab at the light, but then there was a tremendous amount of force that shoved against him, and he was knocked back down to where he started.
Gourry knew he couldn't give up. Somehow, he knew he couldn't stay in the black place. Likewise, he knew he couldn't let himself head for the brighter light, either. He had to get to the dim light above him, or something awful would happen. He didn't know what and he didn't know why-- he just had a feeling.
But for the time being, he needed to regain his strength. Even moving just those few inches had drained him, and he had to rest or he'd never be able to get out. So he'd just have to wait.
Still, one question nagged at him, and kept him from sleep. He worried about that question constantly, and feared some of the answers he gave himself. Despite how much he knew he needed to sleep and regain his strength, he kept thinking: Where is Lina?