What happened?
And where am I?
Three figures come into view before the bed I'm lying in. Two are slightly familiar. One woman with black dreads that are sandy at the tips sits down in a sofa chair in front of me, and the other woman with olive skin and short black hair stands up beside her. They're both wearing neutral colored tank tops and shorts.
Lumi is the second one, I think? The first woman's name starts with an M, like Marjorie or something. I think she saved me in the forest.
The man standing up, I don't recognize at all. He looks like he could be related to Lumi, with the same skin tone and short black hair. His eyes look green from this angle and he's in a normal black tee and gray shorts.
Who is he?
I look down at my feet and up towards my chest. I'm under a white blanket and dressed in a blue plastic gown, just like the one Amias was in after the fire.
I snap my head up, despite the ache in moving it. Everything looks plain and white, and there's a curtain next to me acting as a wall.
This must be a hospital. How did I get here?
“Ignatia, you're awake.” I meet the man’s eyes, who's wearing a smirk.
I scrunch my brows together. “Who are you?” I glance around the room again. “Where am I? What happened?”
“There's much to explain.” He nods, “I'm Dante by the way.” He extends his hand to me.
I squint at his hand before shaking it. “Dante?” No use in saying my name because he already seems to know.
“You've already met my half sister Lumi,” he nods her way. No wonder they look so alike.
Did she really make it all this way to Amara?
Dante continues. “Then you've met Minerva, a loyal worker in our operation.”
Minerva. I knew it started with an M.
Wait. “What operation?”
Dante chuckles, “I'll explain after we catch you up to speed.”
Everyone explains their bits of the timeline to me, going through how I went to save Amias but failed. I exhausted myself fighting Vasilisa and walked away before I could actually kill her. I collapsed with Minerva and that's all I was conscious for.
“Camila and I had to carry you out of the forest,” Minerva explains. “It was a long journey, but we brought you to Caelestia to keep you safe.”
My body tenses. Caelestia? A kingdom away from Amias? “ You brought me where?”
I furrow my brows at Lumi. No wonder she's here! “You brought me back to Caelestia?”
Lumi puts her hands on her hips. “You're safer here in Caelestia where no one is looking to kill you.”
My eyes widen, and my jaw hangs open. Amias is still in Amara! He… he got cleansed!
He needs me!
“You shouldn't have taken me that far!” I hiss. “I need to save Amias!”
“Saving Amias could mean your death,” Minerva says firmly. She leans and sets a hand on my knee.
I slap her hand away and scrunch my nose in disgust. She's the reason I'm so far away from him. “Fuck you! What makes you think I fucking care?”
“Ignatia! Calm down!” I hear Dante demand, but my glare is on Minerva. Her expression, on the other hand, is rather blank.
