Finally, the day came to open the eye clinic.
Puma and her entire family came to support us, while my patients from the forest brought companions who needed our help.
It was going to be a long day. It felt even longer considering their days are longer than Earth's.
My body had finally adapted to the extended mornings and evenings, but not without help.
Both Lion and Puma gave me a potion to increase my stamina and help me adjust to the environment.
The best thing about magic is that I can treat patients much faster than I did on Earth. The eye equipment is faster and more accurate, saving us a significant amount of time.
Puoma was delighted with her work. She created several helpful medications that instantly healed some of the less serious eye problems.
Some patients took longer because I'm not yet well-versed in their anatomy. Unlike humans, who share the same structure, the creatures of this world vary wildly.
Luckily, Nyma was there to help with that.
Her knowledge allowed me to concentrate fully on finding solutions and treatments.
Ghost and Sly, who have been surprisingly well-behaved lately, were quite helpful, but we soon began to feel exhausted by the unending line of patients.
......
While I was checking a patient, I saw a transparent being out of the corner of my eye.
It was moving slowly toward the back, near the portal to the second floor. I glanced at Nyma and saw she was busy, so I decided to follow it.
I gave a quick excuse to my patient, who merely grunted, and went after the figure.
The being stood beside the portal for a moment before stepping through.
I hurried toward the portal and soon arrived on the second floor.
Despite me yelling at it, there was no answer. In fact, I appeared to be all alone.
That's strange.
I might be seeing things.
Suddenly, appeared right in front of me.
WHAT THE HECK?!
I was so startled I couldn't speak. I just stared at the being until it said something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
In a cold, hollow voice, it told me that someone is coming for me before disappearing.
I sat there like a statue until I heard someone calling my name from the first floor.
What on earth was that?
....
The line seemed endless.
Even Nyma and Puoma, who have more energy than I do, looked exhausted.
After what felt like an eternity, the line finally vanished and we hurried to close the clinic.
Sly told me this wouldn't work or we would eventually fall ill. He advised us to set a schedule and limit the number of patients.
He assured me he would find "ords" to help with unimportant tasks.
Ghost whined that we hadn't even started making the condiments yet.
Sly suggested training Nyma to perform the easier examinations while the ords handled the receiving area.
Ah, like triaging.
It was a good insight. I agreed and Nyma looked at me with adoring eyes.
Meanwhile, Puoma thanked me delightedly as her potion-making skills continued to improve.
We decided to let Nyma handle the easier cases, as she had learned quickly while working alongside me.
She even managed some tasks without supervision.
Ghost added that the ords would schedule the complicated cases so I wouldn't have to be at the clinic every single day.
He whispered to me, reminding me that as a human, I have less stamina than them and shouldn't push myself too hard.
With a wink, he told me that everyone valued me.
I felt a rush of emotion and thanked them all for their support. They looked surprised, then smiled. I was in such good spirits that I completely forgot about the encounter I'd had earlier.
I would soon regret forgetting it.
.....
Nyma and Puoma decided to stay at the clinic but promised to return to the castle occasionally to rest.
Puoma shyly asked if she could plant herbs and vegetation on the rooftop for her medicines.
She added that she would also plant some fruit for us to eat. I gave her my permission, and she and Nyma happily went with Sly to buy supplies and furniture.
They had earned a lot on their first day and were eager to spend it.
Ghost and I sat on the steps of the building, looking out at the skyline. He remarked on the progress we had made and told me that I was the cause of the positive changes in all of them.
He laughed, saying he had never felt so happy and was truly beginning to enjoy life.
I was humbled.
Back on Earth, I was 'vanilla', someone who blended into the wallpaper until she was invisible. I was the one who was always alone, always shouted at, and never quite enough.
For years, I carried low self-esteem like a heavy shadow, convinced I was too plain to be noticed.
Yet here, in this world, they didn't see a wallflower. They saw someone worth loving.
I smiled with tears in my eyes and wordlessly hugged him.
He patted my back before hugging me back, telling me I should be more confident because everyone thought I was amazing and beautiful.
Quietly, but enough for me to hear, he murmured that if only I knew how many creatures would love to have me as their mate.
I don't know what to say...
We both stood up, locked the clinic, and walked toward the castle.
He stopped and told me, with an indescribable look on his face, that Lion is lucky to have someone like me as his future mate.
He chuckled while looking at the sky for a moment.
Then, he gently picked me up in his arms and leaped toward the castle.