Hana blinked, her eyelids heavy.
The world swam back into focus slowly, blurred shapes resolving into familiar lines.
She was lying in a bed. Not her own bed, but one of the patient beds in her clinic. The faint scent of antiseptic and dried herbs filled the air.
She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her legs, and a dull ache throbbed in her head and arms.
Looking down, she saw bandages wrapped tightly around both legs, one arm, and across her forehead. More bandages peeked out from under the thin blanket covering her torso.
What happened?
Her mind felt foggy, as she tried to recall what had happened.
The door creaked open, and Aziel stepped inside.
"Oh, Dr. Hana, you're awake?"
"Elias..." Hana's voice was raspy. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
Hana frowned, trying to pierce the haze in her memory. "I... it's fuzzy. Why am I lying here?"
"Two days ago, Jonas, you, and I went into the forest to gather herbs. You wandered off on your own for a while… and then you vanished. We found out that you'd been kidnapped."
"Kidnapped?" The words struck a chord deep within her.
Suddenly, the fragmented memories slammed into her with full force. The dim-lit cave, the stench of blood, bones scattered around, the impaled corpses hanging above... the grotesque, human-faced monster laughing, treating her like a toy... the overwhelming terror just like the horror she'd felt locked away by those cultists years ago.
The feeling of helplessness.
Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened, darting around the small room. Her hands began to tremble.
The fear she'd briefly escaped crashed down on her again.
"Umm... Dr. Hana, are you okay?" Aziel asked, concern displayed on his face.
Hana's wide, fearful eyes snapped towards Aziel.
Seeing his familiar, slightly worried expression, the present reality slowly seeped back into her consciousness, pushing away the horrors in her mind. She wasn't in the damp, stinking cave anymore. She wasn't chained in that horrid prison cell.
She was safe.
Taking a shaky breath, Hana focused on the sensation, trying to expel the lingering fear with the air leaving her lungs. She repeated the action, each breath a little steadier than the last. The trembling in her hands began to subside.
Aziel watched her, relief softening his features as her panic seemed to fade.
"Right then, if you're feeling a bit better, I'll just pop out and let Madam Rosita know you're awake."
He turned, taking half a step towards the door.
Before he could move further, Hana's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong, her fingers digging slightly into his skin as she used both her hands to hold onto him.
Aziel stopped, surprised by the sudden contact.
He looked back at her.
Her composure, painstakingly regained moments before, was crumbling again. Fear flickered in her eyes, her knuckles white from gripping his hand so tightly.
"Uhmm..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Could you... could you stay? Just for a bit?"
Aziel looked down at her hand clutching his, then back at her face. The vulnerability on her face was clear, a sharp contrast to the usually composed, sometimes prickly doctor he worked for. He saw the residual terror lurking just beneath the surface.
Saying no wasn't really an option.
He didn't say anything, just nodded slightly and shifted his weight, standing patiently beside her bed. Hana didn't loosen her grip, her eyes fixed on his hand as if it were a lifeline.
**********
Jonas had known Hana since they were both small children. They basically grew up together in Glenwood.
He could still picture them running through the village square, playing hide-and-seek near the old well, and sharing snacks under the big oak tree. Their lives had been connected for as long as he could remember.
Hana had been a bright kid. She smiled easily, her energy pulling others along.
Even then, Jonas felt something more than friendship, a quiet warmth in his chest whenever she was near. He kept it hidden, content just to be by her side.
One summer, a traveler arrived. He was friendly, telling stories about his travel to anyone who would listen. He spent time with the village children, showing them simple tricks and games.
Jonas and Hana grew close to him. The traveler treated them kindly, answering their endless questions about the world outside Glenwood.
When it was time for the traveler to leave, he called Jonas and Hana aside. He pressed something shiny into each of their hands. Mana Stones. The traveler explained what they were, a rare gift that could change their lives. He smiled, wished them well, and departed.
Jonas and Hana, wide-eyed, consumed the stones later that day, feeling a strange energy fill them. Jonas felt connected to the earth beneath his feet. Hana discovered an affinity for water, and healing power. They had become magic users.
Their life changed. Having magic meant responsibility.
They were sent to the Grand Dragon Royal Academy, a large, imposing place filled with other young magic users, mostly nobles. The academy was strict, focused on control, combat, and theory. Despite the pressured environment, they didn't give up and tried to survive the challenges.
Years passed. They reached their final year, looking forward to returning home.
Then, the dark event occurred.
Hana disappeared one evening on her way back to the dormitory. Jonas joined the frantic search parties organized by the academy and the Katuka Knights. Days crawled by, filled with fear and grim possibilities. He remembered the sleepless nights spent scouring the city outskirts.
She was found several days later, unconscious, left where someone would eventually find her.
Physically, she was unharmed, other than the red marks on her wrists.
But when she woke, something was broken inside her. The bright spark in her eyes was dimmed, replaced by a wariness, a deep-seated fear she tried to hide.
Hana hadn't been the same since then.
The easy smile, the bright energy — it all faded, replaced by something guarded. She stopped sharing things, preferring to keep her thoughts locked away. She also spent more time alone.
Jonas tried to be there for her. He stayed close, offered quiet support, listened when she rarely spoke about meaningless things, never pushing her to talk about what happened.
He blamed himself, somehow. If only he'd been more watchful, maybe he could have prevented it. He carried that regret like a heavy stone.
That was why, even with his duties as a village guard keeping him busy, he always found time to stop by her clinic. Just checking in, offering a hand with heavy boxes, sometimes accompanying her into the forest for herbs. He just wanted to be near, to offer some small measure of protection.
But it happened again. Hana was taken, right under his nose.
This time, the guilt was sharper and heavier. He'd failed her again. Worse, he'd been captured too, knocked out cold before he could even find her.
His own injuries were bad, but Hana's were far worse, so he healed faster.
Hana remained unconscious in the bed beside his in the clinic's patient room. He couldn't leave her side. As soon as he could move, he made it his duty to watch over her. He would sit by her bed for hours, watching her shallow breathing. He wanted to be there when she woke up, to comfort her.
However, there was one time when he needed to use the toilet.
Right now, he was all alone with Hana in the patient room, but it was a short trip down the hall, finished his business, and back. so he did just that.
When he pushed the door open to return to the patient room, he stopped. Hana was awake. But she wasn't alone. Her hands, both of them, were clamped tightly around the hand of Elias.