XXXVIII. Angst
The dungeons are cold and dark, but as far as Theodore is concerned they are the most comforting place in the castle. The dungeons have not changed in the past year; they have always been dank and lifeless. Not like the rest of the castle: the rest of the castle used to be alive but now it too is dead.
He and Blaise come down here sometimes when they feel as though they cannot cope. They don't let anyone else know, of course, and they don't let each other consciously know either: one of them just has to head off in this direction and the other will automatically follow. That's what they get for having been together almost every day for seven years.
"I'm afraid, you know." The words leave Theodore's mouth before he even realises what he's saying.
"So am I," Blaise replies. "I just want this all to be over."
"No, you don't understand. I'm afraid of what will happen when this is over," Theodore sighs.
"I don't know what you mean. Why would you be afraid of the war's end?"
"Because I've become so used to war that I've forgotten what peace feels like."