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CHAPTER 7 — "What Remains When the World Falls Silent"
The days had passed.
More precisely, two full weeks had gone by since Ana woke up in that strange world—beautiful and dangerous in equal measure. Two weeks since she stopped feeling like she was walking on a fragile dream, one breath away from shattering.
Her routine had become surprisingly stable.
Every morning, she studied.
The history of the kingdom.
Its political structure.
Noble etiquette.
Basic magical principles.
All from theory.
Thick, ancient books written in elegant calligraphy that was difficult to decipher at first, but which she gradually learned to read with the same ease she once devoured anatomy textbooks.
It wasn't easy.
But it wasn't impossible either.
In fact… it felt comfortable.
Yeana and Nella, despite their intimidating appearances, were patient—far more than Ana had expected. Yeana corrected her with surgical precision, never raising her voice, pointing out mistakes with a firm finger and those white eyes that left no room for pointless arguments. Nella, on the other hand, explained things in a more practical, grounded way, using simple examples and reminding Ana when it was time to rest.
And that… that was the best part.
In her world, Ana had endured seven years studying medicine. Seven years where sleeping two or three hours was a luxury. Where exhaustion settled deep into her bones. Where residency had turned her into a functioning machine with barely any time left to feel.
Here, it was different.
Here, she was awakened by soft light.
Served warm meals.
Treated gently.
Like a queen.
And that comparison hit harder than she wanted to admit.
Because at university, during residency, at the hospital… no one took care of her like that. No one checked if she was okay. No one noticed if her hands shook from exhaustion.
Here, they did.
And it made her feel good.
Too good.
That was why, when night fell, something inside her finally cracked.
The room was silent. Not the kind of silence that presses against your ears, but the kind that weighs on your chest. Ana sat on the bed, knees drawn up, arms wrapped around them, staring without really seeing the pale canopy above her.
The doubts arrived uninvited.
She was going to return to her world. That much was clear. Leo had promised her.
And that… was a good thing.
Right?
But what would be waiting for her when she returned?
The same exhausting routine?
The same fatigue?
The same emptiness that had slowly swallowed her whole?
She had loved her career. Truly. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a doctor. Cardiology wasn't a whim—it was a vocation born from study, obsession, and an almost unhealthy desire to understand the human heart.
And yet…
When everything collapsed—when the orphanage began to fall apart, when debts, exhaustion, and loneliness piled up—no one was there to hold her up.
Except for one person.
Alex.
The memory surfaced without warning, like an old wound that never fully healed.
Alex had been her best friend.
They met when she was four. He was six. Both of them in the orphanage, sharing silences, awkward laughter, and dreams that felt impossible. Unlike her, Alex was adopted. At twelve, by a couple that looked like they belonged in a movie.
Literally.
A famous actress.
A renowned film director.
Alex had blue eyes—light blue, the kind that seemed to absorb light. Blond hair, pale skin, features so perfect he had always looked out of place in that gray environment. He was beautiful.
Too beautiful.
Of course he was adopted.
When they were separated, Ana felt like something had been torn out of her chest.
Over the years, Alex became a well-known actor. Young, talented, admired. And she… an aspiring cardiologist, buried in books and endless shifts.
They never completely stopped talking.
But when everything started going wrong—when Ana began to sink—she didn't tell him anything.
She only asked for money.
And Alex always sent it.
No questions.
No reproaches.
No conditions.
That was what hurt the most, with time.
Because eventually, shame became stronger than necessity. She felt like she was taking advantage of his kindness. Using him. And that feeling ate away at her.
So she started pulling away.
Replying less.
Writing less.
Disappearing, little by little.
And now…
Now, in her world, it probably looked like the earth had swallowed her whole.
Was he looking for her?
Had he imagined the worst?
A year earlier, Alex had visited during his vacation. They reunited after a long time apart. That night, with a nervous smile and a voice that trembled more than he wanted to admit, he confessed that he had always loved her.
Since they were children.
Ana didn't answer.
Not because she didn't feel the same.
But because she was afraid.
She told him she would give him an answer someday. That she would think about it. That she needed time.
And then came the orphanage's collapse.
The fallout.
The silence.
She never got the chance to tell him the truth.
That she loved him too.
A tear fell onto the pale bedsheets.
Ana wiped it away quickly, annoyed with herself.
She wasn't crying out of weakness.
She was crying because, for the first time in a long while, she finally had space to feel.
And that… hurt.
She slowly lay back, staring at the ceiling.
This world was kind.
This world took care of her.
This world gave her time.
But it wasn't hers.
And her own world… was still turning without her.
She closed her eyes.
Slowly.
Without knowing that, while she slept, her heart had already begun to change.
Not because of magic.
But because of loss.
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