"When will this beautiful lady finally wake?"
"There is no certainty. She has been lying in bed for two weeks now."
W-wait… what am I hearing?
Aren't the dead supposed to hear nothing?
I try moving my eyes.
Slowly, I managed to open them.
Wait… why is it so bright?
It's blinding. The light is coming through a narrow window carved with intricate designs. The shapes aren't clear, just repeating curves and stars. They feel familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen them before. Maybe in old history books? I don't know.
"Wait… where is this place?!" my mind screamed, though I didn't sit up yet.
The ceiling was high, made of smooth wood with carvings nearly worn away by time. Slender pillars stood around, sand-colored, with simple spiral details. Not grand, but clearly crafted with care.
"Is this heaven? Why does it feel so strange?"
"Lamis, she's opened her eyes!" a woman whispered softly while looking at me. She was beautiful. Is she an angel?
An older woman approached slowly, sat beside Lamis, held my hand, and pressed it against her cheek.
"Merciful heavens…" she said weakly, her voice slightly hoarse. "I am overjoyed that you have opened your eyes. My heart has been heavy every time I saw you lying there."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Wait… none of this is sinking in.
Where am I?
Where am I really?
I couldn't say anything.
What am I supposed to say?
That I don't remember anything?
That my mind is blank?
That I don't even know who I am?
Shit…
What is this? Is fate playing with me?
I remained lying down, staring at the ceiling, as a truth I didn't want to accept slowly grew heavier in my chest…
This is not a dream.
And this is not the world I know.
Three days later
"Do you truly remember nothing from what happened to you weeks ago?"
"I already said I don't," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Why do you keep asking?"
The two women who had been watching over me were interrogating me again. We already talked when I woke up. I even asked them who I was. They said my name is Rahina, and that I serve in the palace of the King of Malvern.
"I will guide you in your duties here within the palace."
"Okay."
Ayla frowned slightly, clearly not understanding my response.
"I mean," I quickly added, "I will follow your instructions."
Speaking in their formal way of talking felt suffocating.
Their language is different, yet I understand everything they say. Even my replies come out naturally, as if it's my mother tongue.
I still can't get over what's happening to me.
I really thought that once you die, that's it.
But has anyone ever died, come back to life, and told their story about the afterlife? I've never heard of anything like that.
The day ended in exhaustion, but surprisingly, time passed quickly. Dinner was boiled goat meat and round bread, something like pita bread in the modern world. I've eaten this before, a few days ago. Rice doesn't exist here. As someone who depends on rice, I'm starting to wonder if I can survive like this.
Night came, and tomorrow would start all over again.
We slept packed together like sardines in the room. Different kinds of snores filled the quiet night, mixed with the sound of insects outside. I couldn't sleep. I wasn't used to it. I've been like this for days.
It's too cold outside to sleep there.
It's so boring. No phone. Time moves painfully slow. One night here feels like a whole week. There are no clocks. The only sign to wake up is the break of dawn.
I decided to step outside.
I grabbed an extra blanket and wrapped it around myself before leaving. I needed to use the restroom. After that, I lingered in a small open space I found.
It was very dark. The only light came from the moon.
From where I sat, I could see faint lights in the direction of the palace. I'm not assigned there, so I don't know what it looks like inside. We only work outside, doing errands, cooking, and laundry for whatever is needed inside.
Sleepiness started to creep in, so I decided to head back.
Then I noticed someone walking.
"Who could that be?" I whispered to myself. "Damn it, I should just go inside. What if something happens if he sees me? He looked like a man."
I tried to sleep off the uneasiness.
I don't know why I suddenly felt nervous.
Maybe because our quarters are all women. There are no men here, and our sleeping area has no locks. If someone had bad intentions, we'd be in real danger.
POV: Kaysan Al-Miraj
Night has fallen.
The palace is quiet, and as often happens, sleep does not come easily to me. The guards are in position, the lights have been extinguished one by one. Nothing is expected of me at this hour, so I go out, walking without direction beneath the moon.
This is not duty.
It is simply a habit.
The world feels clearer at night. No applause, no praise, no eyes waiting for commands. In the darkness, all are equal.
I passed by a part of the palace rarely visited, the servants' quarters. The buildings are simple, low to the ground. Quiet, except for the sounds of rest, soft snores, shifting bodies, tired sighs.
Then I noticed a figure outside.
I stopped.
A woman, wrapped in a blanket, sitting in a dark corner touched by moonlight. I could not see her face, but her unease was clear. It is unusual for anyone to linger here at this hour.
I slowed my steps.
I did not approach.
I did not speak.
I have long learned to observe from a distance.
She suddenly stiffened, as if she sensed a presence. After a moment, she stood and returned inside, quick and silent.
There was fear in her movements.
But it was not the fear of someone guilty—
It was the fear of someone who does not yet trust.
I continued walking.
She was just a shadow in the night, one among many. I had no reason to remember her. And yet, there was something strange about the way she moved, as if she did not belong here. Like someone newly arrived in a world that has existed long before her.
When I returned inside the palace, I paused for a moment and looked back toward the servants' quarters.
The surroundings were quiet again, as if nothing had happened.
"Tomorrow," I murmured softly to myself.
I do not know why I said it.
And I did not try to understand.