“I want it in writing,” I reply, flat and unapologetic.
There’s no point pretending I trust him. Men like him don’t have that privilege.
His fist tightens on the table, knuckles going white as the tension coils up his arm like a live wire. Clearly, being challenged isn’t in his playbook, especially not by someone like me, a nobody. Before the silence can turn into something uglier, Isolde steps in, her voice clear through the tension.
“I’ll have the documents prepared. Miss Jelani, Nalaka, please escort Miss Rey to her quarters and brief her on her schedule. Her training begins tomorrow. That will be all for now.”
“Yes, Sergeant,” Nalaka responds smoothly, her calm presence a warm contrast to the storm brewing behind us. She leads me out, as the door clicks shut with an almost defiant finality.
10
Avilyna
DON’T GET CLOSE
We walkthrough the labyrinth of halls. Finally, reaching the healers' department, the scent hits me. Sterile, clinical, but underneath it, something sharper, spicier,familiar.
And there he is, my father, lying in a stark white bed sheet, so still. The man who used to fill every room with energy, with life, now reduced to this fragile silence. My breath hitches in my throat as I walk closer. Each step feels like it’s dragging me further into a place I’m not sure I want to go. His face, so familiar, yet so different now, is pale, drawn. The laugh lines that once marked his smile are gone, replaced by the hollow, lifeless skin of someone who’s already slipped away, even though his body still clings to this world.
For a moment, I wonder if I’ll ever understand what he was hiding, what he was really feeling.
I swallow down the lump in my throat, taking too much space, heavy. Every part of me aches to collapse, to let go of the harshness that’s always been my armour.
But I can’t, not here, not now.
My heart pounds in my chest, frantic, like a bird desperate to escape, as I grasp his hand. The chill of his skin is a stark contrast to the warmth I was hoping for. And panic rises in me,clawing at my chest, threatening to swallow me whole. I press my lips together, feeling them tremble, forcing myself to hold it together. But the walls I’ve built around my heart begin to crack, each one crumbling, piece by piece, as copper floods my mouth. The weight of it all, grief and helplessness, is crushing me, too heavy to bear, too much to hold.
“I sense a deep sadness in the air,” a voice interrupts the suffocating silence, scaring my tears away as I quickly sniff back my runny nose.
Quietly wiping away any proof. The stranger continues, dressed entirely in black with soft hints of pink scattered throughout her outfit.
“Like a cloud hanging over us. But clouds bring rain, and rain brings growth. Sometimes, it’s okay to let the tears fall. They water the seeds of hope, helping them bloom into something beautiful.” The girl with pastel strawberry hair stands in the doorway, without a hint of urgency, and a clipboard clasped in her hands. She carries the air of a vintage gothic nurse. Her gaze is soft but piercing, as if she can see straight through me, deep,deepinside.
I swallow the urge to say something sharp, forcing myself to keep my mouth shut.
“Avilyna, this is Sakura Sato. She’s the assistant healer,” Nalaka says, appearing from behind her. Sakura gives a graceful bow, an almost old-fashioned gesture of respect that feels strangely out of place.
"Hi," I say, my voice tentative, cautious. "Do you have any idea when my dad might wake up?" Sakura’s amber eyes widen slightly, the quiet shift in her expression revealing the weight of the situation.
“All his wounds are healed,” She says, her serene smile not matching her stare. “But Sergeant Rey has been infected by a virus we’ve never encountered before. That’s why we put him tosleep, to stop it from spreading. Unfortunately, we can’t predict when or if he’ll wake up. It’s like searching for a pegasus... You can’t be sure when, or if, it will ever show itself.”
Sergeant Rey? So he did work for them…
I try to absorb her words, a tight knot forming in my chest. “Okay... so what’s the plan?” Trying to keep my composure, but the urge to lash out, to break something, is almost unbearable.
“Oh, Ruby Oak’s in charge,” Sakura says lightly, a whimsical lilt in her voice. “She’s an incredible healer, with a rare gift. Your father is in the best hands, guided by the magic of Kvirr itself.”
RubyOak?
Could it be Aunt Ruby?
If Theo is not my real father, why am I even surprised that Aunt Ruby doesn't have the same last name? Now that I’m here, she can’t even reach me. I need to find a way to talk to her, but first, let’s see who that RubyOakis.
“Where is she?” The urgency clear beneath my cold exterior, at this point, I’d grasp at anything. Anything to feel like I still have a shred of control over this chaotic mess of a life.
“Oh, she’s with the council. A lot of meetings,” Sakura responds, eyes elsewhere, unfazed. “But don’t worry, you’ll soon meet her. For now, let’s take care of your wounds.” Turning around, she guides me out of the room, her calm presence a sharp contrast to the turmoil knotting inside me, cutting off any protests that linger on the tip of my tongue. She doesn’t wait for me and starts leading the way, and I follow.
It turnsout I’ve got a concussion, fractured ribs, third and second-degree burns, without forgetting the sprained ankle.Sakura moves with quiet efficiency, tending to my injuries with remarkable skill.
