Ah.
I don't know what to say.
I feel sick.
Lion continued to embrace me tightly while nuzzling me on my cheek, trying his best to comfort me.
He told me with a steady voice that he is trying to find the remaining high council members since they still might harm me again. He apologized since he might be gone for a bit of time. He promised to be back as soon as he can.
Ghost and Sly are going with him and Orm will be left behind here in the castle since he is capable enough to protect me until Lion comes back.
For now, Puma will stay with me in the castle to take care of me.
I listened to him half-heartedly as he continued to tell me all sorts of plans.
I remembered talking to Orm and asked Lion if that incident really happened. Lion gently shake his head, explained to me about false reality in which it is hard to determine as it copies the reality in perfect accuracy.
How long was I gone? I asked Lion tentatively.
It turns out that I've only been gone several days.
Huh.
This world is really strange.
....
Lion sang for me, a song meant to comfort me, but it sounded irritating to my ears. I didn't say anything. I just stared at nothing.
I don't feel anything. I wanted to get angry, cry or yell at something, someone, anything but it felt exhausting.
Whenever Lion slept beside me, hugging me towards his chest, I just lay there, awake, nothing inside my mind. Just a feeling of emptiness.
Is this the change I'm looking for previously?
Everything seems so insignificant now.
....
Lion, Sly and Ghost left while Orm stayed behind to protect me.
Lion assured me that this time it's real.
I just forced myself to smile at him. I don't have anything to say.
Lion made me sit down on the bed with my back supported by pillows.
He kissed me softly, gently before leaving, giving me a lingering look. I feel sick at his touch.
I don't want to be touched but I didn't say anything.
Puma spent her time taking care of me, talking all sorts of things that in my mind, I wanted to yell at her to go away. Still, I didn't say anything. I just gave her a forced smile, like the smiles I gave to everyone.
Forced but no emotions behind it.
I still can't move so Orm and Puma decided to invite a slightly higher ranked healer that they heard so much about lately. They are hoping that this healer might helped me with my condition.
I nodded, hoping they would leave me alone. Thankfully, Orm didn't talk to me much but I can feel that he can see right through me, though he didn't say anything. Just pity, mixed with undescribable emotion.
Ha. At least he knows how disgusting I am.
....
After several monotonous days of lying down on the bed with nothing to do, I heard a voice who sounded like a bird, chirpy voice that sounded shrill to my ears.
Puma's voice sounded enthusiastic and I heard Orm getting flirty to the newcomer.
Suddenly they all appeared inside the room and I saw the prettiest creature I ever saw in my life. She has a face like a human, exquisite and very attractive. She had a fairy like wavy hair, in a shade of red and eyes that has the brightest shade of green. Her body though isn't human, a combination of lioness and partly human, with a tail that looked strangely similar to Lion. She had wings on her back in which I recalled something that I read before back on earth.
Ah. She is a chimera. Or seemed like a chimera.
Orm looked specially infatuated with her and kept flirting with her in which she flirted back with much more enthusiasm.
I soon enjoyed looking at them while Puma seemed to be in good spirits.
Puma introduced me to Subus, a high ranked healer who is getting popular with her abilities.
She heals people by singing, Puma excitedly told me.
Subus cheerfully thanked her and soon approach me. She faced me and that's when I saw a cold look in her eyes that gave me goosebumps.
Her voice sounded with a lot of enthusiasm but her eyes seems to tell otherwise. She looked at me with disdain.
What was that?
I must have looked surprised since she suddenly smiled at me but somehow, warning bells seems to be ringing inside my mind.
She soon began to sing and room started to fill with a bright light.
Orm and Puma looked enchanted with her singing but I somehow hear quite differently. Her singing voice sounded horrible that I tried my best not to cover my ears.
Maybe I'm just in a rotten mood.
After she stopped singing, my body feels a bit lighter, though it feels a bit shaky but I can move now. I slowly sat up and looked at my hands and finally, I looked up at Subus and thanked her while she smiled at me maliciously.
Then she turned to Orm and Puma and talked to them in a light hearted tone in which somehow, I was left out of the conversation.
I didn't mind though since I just wanted to be left alone.
....
When Lion, Sly and Ghost came back, Orm and Puma enthusiastically greeted them and happily told them about Subus, who welcomed everyone brightly. Sly turned into a deep shade of red in the face while Ghost greeted her in a familiar sort of way.
Subus turned to Lion, who smiled at her while he sat down beside me on the bed, embracing me with tears in his eyes. He told me he was happy seeing me finally moving around. He nuzzled my neck and embraced me tightly, speaking words of comfort to me.
Puma joyfully told Lion that it was Subus who helped me and she told the story about how they met.
Lion thanked Subus though he didn't look at her, continued to give me attention instead.
Sly asked Ghost how he was familiar with Subus. Subus giggled and told everyone that Subus, Ghost and Lion met at the developmental center.
I suddenly feel irritated for some reason.
I gently pushed Lion away and tried to stand up on my own. Lion tried to help me but I just looked at him with a glare. He immediately sat down on the bed sulking while I made a huge effort in standing up. My legs started to shake and I nearly fell on the floor when Subus caught me. Everyone thanked her, showered her with compliments while Lion looked at me with mixed emotions.
I ignored his gaze and stiffly thanked Subus who somehow smiled at me but something in her smile seems scary for some reason.
What is going on here?