Everywhere felt hot, yet chilling cold at the same time. Maraye couldn't tell what was real. She had been slipping in and out of consciousness for what felt like hours.
She wanted to take off her clothes, but glancing down to see herself bare with glowing cracks on her chest Maraye flinched, shocked.
She had seen this before, but this time it hit her—this wasn't normal.
Nothing was ever normal with her she knew that, but then it was starting to get out of hand.
Was this hallucination? Was she finally going insane?
Shivering, Maraye hugged herself tighter, every inch of her skin crawling with icy fire. She looked around to see herself in the familiar space of endless darkness.
Again.
She tensed, straightening as though expecting an attack. Glancing around hysterically while moving backwards, but nothing happened. It was just eerily quiet.
Maraye tried to stand, but her legs trembled like something was pulling the strength out of her.
Her mind hazy it felt like she couldn't think straight, she just wanted to rest her body.
Whatever was messing with her, or if it was just her finally going insane, she didn't care.
Maybe she was giving up too easily, Maraye didn't want to know. She just wanted to rest her lazy eyes.
She had been fighting for too long. For now, it felt like the right thing to do.
And so, Maraye curled up into a ball and layed bare and cold on the floor, not questioning anything and drifting off to sleep.
***
Ayo stood outside the room Maraye was confined in, still debating whether to knock or just turn away.
But then her mother had left her to look after the patient.
Releasing a sigh, she summoned courage and knocked on the door.
No response came.
Ayonna wondered if the girl was still asleep, but it was almost dawn. Every creature was already up and about.
She gently pushed the door open, peeking in first to see if her patient was asleep.
The room was dark and it seemed even the incense had burned down.
For some reason the room felt stiff, or should she say…still.
She glanced towards the bed and saw the shillouette of her patient sitting and staring out the window.
Ayo stepped in, a smile on her face.
"You are finally awake."
But her patient didn't react, not even a glance to see who had stepped into the room.
Ayo tilted her head in confusion.
Was her patient sick again?
"Are you still sleepy? Are you in pain?" she stepped closer, and Maraye suddenly turned towards her, scaring Ayo for a second.
Her patient seemed unnaturally stiff.
"Give me my black pearl!" Maraye's voice snapped, harsh and jagged.
Ayo flinched. The words felt wrong —as if the girl had been possessed.
"Wait…what? It's mine! You gave it back!" Ayo stammered, taking a cautious step back.
"Give me back my black pearl!" Maraye repeated, like someone being controlled, her voice sounded layered, like more than one person was speaking.
She stretched out her hand as though waiting to receive the black pearl.
Ayo took another step back confused, sensing something terribly wrong with her patient.
She needed to call her mother. With her heart racing, Ayo turned towards the door, and Maraye moved, a slight pause before fiercely grabbing the girl's hand.
Ayo froze. Fear settling in, suddenly she yanked back, but the patient's grip was terribly strong.
"Let go!" Ayo fought, realising the girl wasn't in her right mind.
"Give me back my black pearl!" Maraye screamed, her voice stirred the air. The door suddenly began creeping close, inch by inch.
Ayo panicked, finally realising that things could go bad if the door shut close. She resisted with every ounce of strength, yelling for the girl to let go.
The door was about to slam shut when her mother's feet shot out, wedging it open. She stepped inside before either girls could react.
Her eyes narrowed as though she recognised this type of madness.
"Mama!" Ayo cried, relieved yet shaken.
Ayo watched her mother step forward and grab the girl's hand with ease, breaking both girls apart.
Ayo stumbled backwards in shock, yet relief, her hands shaking terribly. Touching the hand Maraye had gripped with every ounce of strength, she rubbed it, breathing in Ayo gently kept them behind her so her mother wouldn't see.
'Did I just almost die?' shock lingered in her thoughts.
'Was she possessed or something?'
Confused Ayo turned towards the now unconscious Maraye who was being laid down again in bed.
"Is she alright? What happened?"
She craned her neck to see what her mother was doing.
"The next time she acts up just call her name." Her mother responded, avoiding the girl's questions.
"That's it?"
"Wait...I don't know her name" Ayo stilled at the realisation.
"Ask her when she wakes up" her mother answered, not saying anything else.
Ayo squinted, she could swear that her mother already knew the girl's name.
The woman stared at the girl in bed again. It seemed as though she was irritated.
"What had the water deity done?" she murmured, anger evident in her tone.
The woman didn't flinch. If anything, her face hardened, as though this confirmed something she already suspected.
A strange chill lingered, one that made her squint in further suspicion, as if the rage in Maraye hadn't fully left the room.
Ayo glanced at the girl again, wondering what her mother was talking about. Her heartbeat slowly reducing back to its usual rythym without her even realising it.
"Her wounds are now closed, that's fast" Ayo pointed out, excited to see the results of her hard work.
"I'm now a certified physician!" She hurramphed, causing her mother to laugh. It was indeed strange to witness the woman's mood shift firsthand, and sometimes it was beautiful.
"I'll leave you with her" her mother said before stepping out. Ayo for a second, didn't want to be left alone with the patient after what happened earlier, but this was one of the responsibilities that came with being a physician. Being ready at all times to handle any amount of madness and tantrums the patients would throw.
A small sigh and she turned towards the girl who was in bed.
Only to see a now awake Maraye, staring at her.
"Ahh!" She shrieked, startled before forcing a smile that trembled.
Clearing her throat swiftly, watching Maraye like she was a wild animal that could snap again.
"You are awake…again." Chuckling nervously she stepped back a bit. Heart thudding, she didn't dare step too close this time.
Maraye just continued to stare. For some reason, every of their interaction was always akward like no other.
Marayes eyes wandered away from the girl and towards the smooth ceiling made out of mud.
This time around, clarity weighed heavy on her. The dark space—the second time she'd found herself there, with no memory of how, and the familiar cracks lining her body…
Gathering strength, she sat up in haste, flinging the blankets to check her body for those familiar lining cracks.
Her hands tracing out to touch her skin and all she saw were scars.
They were in the exact shape of the glowing cracks that adorned her body in the dark space earlier.
Her stomach flipped, feeling nauseas.
'if the marks stayed… what else would?'
These scars were a result of Izi's blade tearing her open for a single mistake… maybe two.
She had lied about her identity, Maraye had lied about pretty much everything. She lowered her head at these realization.
Her head was beginning to hurt again, unable to think straight as each thought overlapped the other.
One thing that definitely bothered her continuously was that she knew what her master was like. He would never let her go just like that.
Infact, dying by Izi's blade was actually a better option. But her master was relentless, he haunted even the souls of his enemies, and there was this thought that she wasn't an exception.
'I need to leave this place' she squeezed a handful of bedsheets sweating.
She heard Ayo clear her throat and her eyes flickered towards the girl. She had completely forgotten about her existence.
"You seem lost in thoughts." Ayo spoke, smiling like she hadn't just been screaming earlier.
Seeing as she didn't respond, Ayo continued, unsure.
"I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Ayonna, I'm a physician's daughter and soon to be an important royal worker," she said, a proud tilt in her smile.
"Oh, I also saved your life too." She reminded letting out— according to Maraye, a painful laughter.
Maraye just continued to stare, detached, angry, yet uncertain.
Something felt wrong beneath her ribs. Heavy. Like whatever took over hadn't fully let go.
The room was wrapped in akward silence again, one that bothered Ayo. She cleared her throat again
"Uhh…well you are supposed to introduce yourself in exchange, it's what any normal human would do" giving an innocent smile as she spoke, Ayo waited to finally hear from her patient.
A few minutes passed with her waiting, before watching her patient turn away. She sighed in disappointment, feeling a little insulted.
The girl was stubborn and so hard to coax, it made Ayo wonder where she actually was from.
She turned around too ready to walk out of the room, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard the girl speak again.
"Omomaraye." It slipped out before she could stop it.
The truth.
For once.
Ayo spun around with such excitement it startled them both.
"That's your name?" She beamed. "Omomaraye" Ayo tested.
"Your name is beautiful" she said, but it seemed the one who beared the name didn't agree.
She flinched, not at the compliment, but at the reminder of who she was.
For the first time in a while, Maraye had willingly told her true name without lying.
What could this mean for her?...