Hina slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a cold, twilight forest. The place was dark and utterly silent — no wind, no birds, only faint, distant beeps. She walked and walked until she reached a long, dark river. Leaning over the water, she peered at her reflection.
It wasn't her.
The surface showed Asim. The water spurted. She jumped back in fright and bumped into something behind her. She looked up — Asim, but wrapped in snakes, his eyes unnaturally wide.
She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Her throat locked, air refusing to enter. Something tightened at her neck — a snake coiling slowly, squeezing. Asim's face stared at her, blank and distant.
"Hina, look out," he said.
She kept tugging at the snake, panic clawing at her chest. The head of the serpent moved toward her hand… then it bit.
She screamed and woke up drenched in sweat.
It was a dream — again. The room around her looked unfamiliar; moonlight painted the window. As she turned, she saw Asim sitting in a chair beside the bed, eyes closed.
She was about to speak when he opened his eyes. She jumped at the sudden movement.
Asim watched her for a long breath, then sighed. "Heavy sleeper, huh?" he said, his voice softer than usual.
"How long… was I out?" Hina asked.
"About eighteen hours since the mission," Asim replied, standing slowly. "How do you feel?"
"I feel… okay," she said, taking in the room. She was in a hospital bay — antiseptic, medical gear, and an IV line attached to her arm.
Asim moved around, checking the monitors. "Nothing in your body hurts. You sure?" His tone was still soft; it felt more terrifying than his usual annoyance.
"You were here the whole time?" she asked.
"Someone had to watch you." He hesitated, then added, "Also — I wanted to talk after you woke." He reached out to a table. "You might be hungry. Chocolate pudding?" He tossed a cup at her.
Hina caught it. "Sure. I'm starving." She took the spoon Asim handed her and dug in, humming at the sweet, chocolaty taste.
Asim watched, a small, almost amused smile tugging his face. Then his mask slid back into place: serious, hard. "Do you remember what happened, Hina?"
She flinched at the question. Memories flickered and she nodded, quietly: "Mhm."
Asim's eyes hardened. He stared at her a long moment before saying, "Do not — tell anyone at all — what happened in the fight. Understood?"
"Why—?" Hina began.
"You're not ready." He cut in immediately. "Your powers are one of the highest levels in the Shadow Corp, but you can't use them yet. You won't fit in… like most prodigies that come once in a lifetime." His voice was flat. "So please, Hina… just this once: act like nothing happened in that fight. Alright?"
Hina thought of the river, the mouths, the snake. "O-okay," she whispered.
She finished the pudding. "What happened… didn't I die? Am I immortal?"
Asim had a small, tired laugh. "Low chance of immortality. But you do have powers. What exactly? Unknown. I'll try to find out once you get out of the hospital and back to training."
When she set the empty cup down, she asked softly, "Is Veynar dead?"
"Did you forget how you chopped his head clean off?" Asim said, trying to reassure her. "He's pretty much dead." He sighed. "You should sleep, Hina. I'll tell the nurses."
He rose to leave, but a small hand closed on the hem of his shirt.
"Please don't go," Hina whispered, the nightmare still clutching her chest.
Asim turned, surprised. He sat back down and exhaled. "Alright. I'll stay. Just sleep."
Hina relaxed, withdrew her hand, and let sleep take her again.