Carmilla was in a weird state of consciousness and unconsciousness. She remembered some things after blacking out, but it was mostly blank. The ones that she remembered were fleeting and would be forgotten a few moments later.
It was a jarring feeling. The fever was really getting to her. She couldn't feel her body and could not control what she wanted. The mere thought of opening her eyes was exhausting.
Pushing herself beyond her body's limits was normal for her as a scout. When training came, she was always the one that preached that extra was always good. Now, she realized how wrong it was with different circumstances.
In between her haze, she saw a familiar face. Lilith.
A woman with beautiful emerald eyes that she would stare at for hours. Her golden hair contrasted the dark landscape and it would sprawl out the green grass where she laid. She always wore a soft and perfect smile, always present and always directed Carmilla's way. She was the most beautiful woman that Carmilla laid her eyes on.
Unfortunately, Lilith doesn't exist. She was a projection of her loneliness that would show up in her dreams since she was a small child. Falling asleep was easier when she remembered that she would see Lilith again.
They didn't talk whenever they meet. Carmilla liked the way it was quiet. They were always in an empty landscape, painted by the moon's light and it's countless stars.
Oftentimes, Carmilla would lay with Lilith and feel the cool breeze on her skin and listen to the song of nature. It was a stark contrast with her real life self.
Like a lot of things in life, all dreams eventually end. When she joined the scouts, she never saw Lilith again.
Carmilla was convinced that it was her punishment.
Only one other person knew of Lilith. Back when they were close, she would tell Kristoff of her dreams. She thought he cared as much as she did. He was always there for her when Lilith couldn't, a constant pillar that would calm her in times of storm.
She found out much later that he used the information she confided in him to feed to powerful political figures. It was a bad time to grow up as a teenager. Especially a teenager that was going through intense training physically and mentally.
Carmilla set a new record for the amount of recruits she sent to the clinic.
It's been so long since she's seen Lilith. She had long accepted that she will never see her again and yet there she was. Lilith appeared after she ran away from her responsibilities.
'Maybe this is the right thing to do...'
The sound of soft chimes woke her.
A groan escaped from her lips. Before anything else, her body decided to remind her of the shit she pulled while sick. It was not a pleasant experience, she felt sore in places she knew would take a long while to recover.
There was a heaviness that hovered over her body. It made it hard to move. A twitch took as much effort as lifting heavy weights.
Carmilla didn't give up.
Her brain was starting to catch up with the waking body. She didn't recognize the scent or feel of the surroundings, the darkness didn't help. One look was all it took for her to understand that she wasn't anywhere near her district.
She sat up, loudly groaning. Her hand reached for her weapon only to catch her own skin. When she looked down, she saw her naked body. It took a while for her eyes to focus and see the leaves stuck to specific spots on her arm and waist. A lot more focus to see the smiley face drawn on each leaf.
'What the...'
The door creaked open.
Her mouth grew agape when she saw who entered the room.
Wet golden hair framed her face, highlighting the worry reflecting on her emerald eyes.
"Lilith?" She croaked, her voice hoarse and groggy from sleep.
Lilith heard her voice and walked over. She reached the glass on the table and handed it to Carmilla. "Kypur aopz."
Carmilla's brows furrowed. Suddenly, the immersion was broken. This woman was not Lilith. Looking closely, her eyes were duller, more... human. And her ears, they were longer than the length of her face.
More importantly, she spoke. Lilith didn't do that.
The woman slightly tilted her head. Her face lit up in recognition and she pulled out stone from her dress' pocket. It glowed a bright white light.
She spoke again, this time, Carmilla could understand her. "Drink some water. I haven't checked on you for a few hours."
Carmilla hesitated. She looked at the woman and the glass being offered. She wondered about this woman's identity and why she looked eerily similar to the woman in her dreams.
"Please."
It was like she was under a spell. She immediately moved and gulped down the water in the glass like a wild beast, surprising herself and the woman in front of her. She didn't even have time to analyze what was in the water and it was only after she finished the whole glass that her mind realized there was a bitter flavor.
Carmilla coughed into her arm. Panic surfaced and she glared at the woman, "What did you put in here?!"
The woman took her time staring at Carmilla.
Her eyes landed on the glass in Carmilla's hand. She carefully pried it from her grasp before placing it on her lips. She finished the remaining liquid in the glass and made an expression at the bitter taste.
Then a smile came and in the next moment, she was bashfully chuckling.
"I had put your medicine in the water. I apologize, I didn't realize that it left a bitter taste. The medicine was made in a hurry with how bad your condition was. Can I?" Her hand hovered near Carmilla's forehead.
Carmilla gently pushed her hand away from her face. "I think I need some context first. Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?"
A wave of dizziness hit her, her body swayed and the strength from her core gave out. She was familiar with the feeling of falling unconscious by now.
Before her head could hit the bedding, the woman caught her and gently laid her down.
"You should rest more. I'll explain everything when you're better."
Carmilla didn't understand the concern on the woman's face as she checked over the leaves on her body. "Why are you doing this?"
The woman paused. She looked at her with the same confusion on Carmilla's face. The confusion was swiftly swatted away as she continued her check up.
Carmilla accepted that she wasn't going to get an answer any time soon and slowly closed her eyes to accept the drowsiness.
Before she could fully fall asleep, a soft voice replied. "I saw myself in your eyes..."
--
The next time she woke up, she was feeling a lot better. Whatever was in the water really did its magic, she felt as if she was better than before she was sick. Carmilla was ready to run around the forest and be home before dinner.
It was day. The sun crept inside the room between the window blinds. She expected to be greeted by the same woman from that night. Instead, she found a human child, quietly playing with rocks in the middle of the room.
The child heard her sit up. She turned around and smiled, showing all of her pearly whites. "You're finally awake!" She exclaimed, excitedly padding over to the bed. The rock in her hand glowed brightly as she spoke, "My name is Niana! Mama wasn't the only one that was taking care of you, you know! I helped lots! How are you feeling?"
Thankfully, she had clothes this time around.
Carmilla opened her mouth to reply.
She couldn't get a word in as the child's eyes lit up and she started to run out of the room. Her voice trailing behind her. "I need to tell Mama!"
Carmilla reached out to stop her to no avail.
"Wait!" The child was long gone.
What a curios child. She had never seen a child of her age to be so full of life.
The people in her district were happy, of course. Being protected by her parents and their companions, who possess the knowledge of Earth created a safe community.
That kind of excitement could only be seen in newborns.
Carmilla took in her surroundings. With the daylight, she was able to see the finer details that the night hid.
She lay in a mostly wooden room. The bed was made up of wool stuffed in a knitted sheet. The wooden panels on the walls had leafage seeping in from its cracks. A rectangular hole was there for their windows.
It was rural. Something that she would see from books that discuss their history. However, it wasn't exactly the same.
There was a warmth in the air. A cozy atmosphere that felt unheard of in a building without the joys of electricity. It was magical.
Near the bed was a small table. There lay the glass from that night as well as multiple trinkets that she guessed belonged to that woman. The glass was full with water. Carmilla guessed that it must be spiked with the same medicine she drank.
One of the trinkets caught her attention. It was a rock. She reached out for it, weighing it in her hand. The rock was identical to the one the child had. Unlike the hers, the one in her hand didn't glow. It... felt like a normal rock.
The sound of multiple footsteps neared the room. She could distinct the sound from the child and the woman.
Niana, walked faster, the sound of her steps light. The woman, her mother, was slower yet each step carried a weight that felt inhuman.