The blazing flames roared behind Rover as he stepped forward, treading on the withered leaves covering the tree trunk, closing in on Aether.
The almost tangible killing intent made Aether's heart pound. In the next moment, a cold glint flashed—the blade thrust straight toward his chest.
"Ah—!"
Aether jolted upright, gasping for breath.
"You're awake?"
Rover sat on a nearby chair, a book in hand. Seeing Aether's state, he raised an eyebrow and spoke leisurely:
"Nightmare?"
Aether exhaled deeply, his hand instinctively reaching behind him to find his pillow soaked with cold sweat.
Flipping the pillow over, Aether felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He collapsed back onto the bed, his mouth filled with a bitter taste.
"Yeah... I dreamed of a strange, enormous tree burning in flames. You walked out of the fire, brother... and saw me as an enemy."
Rover's hand paused mid-page. He set the book down, stood up, and poured a glass of water, placing it on the nightstand beside Aether.
"Rest for now. Don't overthink it."
Aether nodded and closed his eyes again, reassured.
Just as Paimon floated in, about to speak, Rover raised a finger to his lips in a "shush" gesture, then motioned for her to step outside.
"Aether woke up once already. Let him rest a little longer."
Outside, the wind carried the fragrance of flowers through the forest. Hearing this, Paimon finally let go of her worries.
"The Master is very knowledgeable. If he says Aether will be fine, then there's definitely nothing to worry about."
A young girl approached, hearing Rover's words, and patiently explained to Paimon.
Her name was Collei.
After Aether fainted, Rover had carried him and encountered the Forest Ranger Collei. With her help, they found a place to stay.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce this place. This is Gandharva Ville—originally built by scholars of Sumeru as a temporary rest stop in the rainforest. Now, it's mainly inhabited by Forest Rangers.
Oh! I remember the Master specifically told me that once Aether wakes up, he should drink another dose of herbal medicine. I'll... I'll go prepare it for him now."
Collei's face flushed slightly as she hurried past Rover into the treehouse.
"Sigh... I've pasted all these plants onto the bulletin board. If he still can't remember, then stick them on his forehead so everyone who sees him can remind him. Of course, if he enjoys seeing little colorful figures dancing in front of his eyes, then forget I said anything."
The voice came from two scholars not far from Rover—one of them was Collei's mentor, Tighnari.
The other scholar sighed as well, shrugged helplessly, and walked away.
After finishing his tasks, Tighnari approached Rover and asked about Aether's condition.
Hearing that Aether was fine, Tighnari smiled faintly and was about to speak when—
Clatter!
The sound of a bottle hitting the floor came from inside. Tighnari frowned slightly and raised his voice.
"Collei, leave the medicine bottles alone for now."
Collei bit her lip, standing awkwardly to the side as Tighnari deftly picked up the bottle and began preparing the medicine. As he worked, he resumed the conversation that had been interrupted earlier.
"Some scholars in Sumeru need to meditate in the forest as part of their studies. The incense that caused Aether to faint is called Spirit Borneol—it helps people enter a deep meditative state quickly. This incense has no effect on most people, but it can stimulate the nerves of a very small number of individuals, causing them to see unexpected visions. You happen to be one of those rare cases. Does that make sense?"
Tighnari had high emotional intelligence. As he spoke, he placed the herbal medicine within Aether's reach and reminded him:
"It's still very hot. Wait seven or eight minutes before drinking it."
Once finished, Tighnari began his routine questioning. After hearing Aether describe the contents of his dream, he stroked his chin thoughtfully, then glanced at Collei as if confirming something.
"For the next few days, you'll stay in my room. I'll squeeze in with Aamir. Initially, I thought you'd be fine after waking up and drinking the medicine, but given the circumstances, I'll need to observe and treat you further."
Collei nodded quickly and turned to leave, but Tighnari sighed softly.
"Collei, slow down."
"I... I understand..."
Collei's voice faded as she walked away. Listening to Tighnari's words, Rover grew concerned and asked:
"Did you find something unusual?"
Tighnari hesitated before voicing his thoughts.
"I believe the incense induced intense hallucinations in Aether, which suggests his mental state is... quite unstable."
He paused, waiting for Aether to finish the medicine, then took out a small incense ball.
"Here, try smelling a similar fragrance again."
Sure enough, as soon as Aether caught the scent, he clutched his head—confirming Tighnari's suspicions.
Tighnari shrugged, and Rover understood the severity of the situation.
This time, Aether had been lucky—passing out where Forest Rangers could find him. But the forest was filled with such scents. If he fainted again in a remote area, even with Rover's protection, his mental state could deteriorate further.
"Stay here for a while. Once you've adapted to the scent, we can consider leaving."
Aether had no choice but to agree. After Tighnari left, he hesitated before speaking to Rover.
"Something feels... off."
Aether's voice was laced with confusion. Rover pulled up a chair beside him, and Paimon hovered nearby, equally concerned.
"It felt too real... That dream—it was like I was actually there. The crimson sky, the massive roots, the burning flames... and you.
Those couldn't have just been hallucinations..."
Rover understood what Aether meant. He stepped outside, scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping, then closed the door tightly.
Paimon blinked in confusion, looking between the two.
Rover sighed and continued explaining patiently.
"Aether's description of the dream was far too detailed, yet Tighnari dismissed it as mere hallucinations..."
Now Paimon caught on.
"So you're saying... Tighnari might actually know what you saw wasn't just an illusion, but he lied to keep us here?"
Aether nodded, cautiously eyeing their surroundings. After traveling with Rover for so long, he had learned to think critically and trust his instincts.
Being careful never hurt.
(Tighnari is one of the few well-written characters in Sumeru.)