Chapter 70: Escaping A Nightmare Into Another.

Chapter 70: Escaping A Nightmare Into Another. Aiden worked quickly with Kesha to get the treatment for Lia, and within that day, they had eliminated the worms and poison from her body. All that remained was for her to finally wake up. Inside her room, Henndar, Mozrael, and Aramith stood beside her bed as Aiden checked her vitals one more time. Ever since Aramith had returned, this was the first time he had entered Lia’s room, the first time he’d seen her. The room felt nostalgic, it looked and smelled the same. Lia lay on the bed, seemingly preserved in time, unmoving save for the slow rise of her chest. Behind him, Mozrael stood still. Henndar was standing beside her with a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to go to Aramith, but then she knew as much as Henndar that in that moment, he needed to face this alone. Her breathing pattern changed, and though it wasn’t that noticeable, Henndar realized it and knew she was about to wake up. He pressed Mozrael’s shoulder, and she looked up at him. He only had to gesture towards the door for her to understand. She breathed through her nose and followed Henndar out. Henndar gently closed the door, looking at his son once more and hoping he faces this fear of his well. When the door closed behind him, Aramith knew he had to be prepared. He was so afraid he wasn’t sure what to do. She was about to wake up. What if she doesn’t remember him, or what if she hates him? What if she’s afraid of him? He had to shake his head and clear his thoughts before he ran away. He didn’t know and didn’t care how long it took, but finally.... Lia moved. She stirred under the blankets. Her fingers moved Then she opened her eyes She sat up, looking confused as she looked around. Aramith’s breath caught. He couldn’t move as Lia’s eyes darted around the room, trying to understand where she was. She looked at him a few times but didn’t seem to see him. After so long, her eyes needed time to adjust before everything was clear. At the moment, her sight was bleary. Then— She saw him, still blurred, but she knew him very well. She froze, not knowing exactly how to react. Aramith’s heart was thumping wildly in his chest. Lia reached a hand out to him. She wanted to know whether he was real, whether she was truly awake, whether it was over...that nightmare. Her hand got closer and closer to his face, then. Touch. She drew her hand back, paused, then reached out again, touching his cheek. He felt it for the first time in a long time- that soft warmth from her little hand. She let out a breath of relief, her eyes tearing up. "You’re real... this is real... Aramith?" Lia’s expression was one of relief, sadness, and joy. Without hesitating, she quickly moved in to hug him. Her movements were odd, but she held him. The act was so sudden, Aramith didn’t know how exactly to react. She had her arms wrapped around him, but he was afraid to hold her. Very slowly, he relaxed his arms around her, afraid to hold her too hard- afraid he might squeeze the life out of her- afraid she might turn to dust if he held her. he held her softly. Lia tried to hold it in, tried to act strong, tried to be herself, wanted to be cheerful, but- "Waaaaaaaa! Aramith! It was so dark, so cold! I was alone-" She choked on her tears, holding him tighter. She didn’t want to be alone again. "I tried to pretend it was alright, but nothing changed. It was so lonely there." She shook her head, trying to clear the bad memories, but they came back stronger. "Whyyyy WHy was it like that? Why did that have to happen? I don’t want to go there again! I was asleep, unable to wake up, unable to move, but I could hear everything. I heard all the voices, knew everyone wanted me to wake up!" Aramith’s body went rigid. She could hear all the voices? SO that means she knows- "I tried to listen to every voice, so tell me, Aramith. Tell me why I never heard your voice. Why didn’t you come to see me? Do you hate me? Did you want me gone?" Aramith swallowed the lump in his throat. "You’re still not answering me. I wanted to hear your voice, too. I wanted to know if you also wanted to see me, but you never did." "I-" He couldn’t respond. "It was Mozrael, or mom, or dad. Mozrael would always tell me when she tried to make you come see me, but you always said no." "-I I-Ias afraid to" "You’re not dangerous! You didn’t cause it, I heard them say it! You’re just giving excuses all over. Why didn’t you come see me? I needed you!" She was crying her heart out, and Aramith ,after trying so hard couldn’t keep his emotions in check. He also broke down in tears. "I’m sorry! I also wanted to see you, but I was afraid. I couldn’t help it. I knew I would only feel worse if I saw you and you never woke up. I didn’t want to overwrite the way I remembered you." "I understand, but it still hurts that you avoided me." They both cried their hearts out for a full hour. Outside the room, Kesha had already turned her back to the door. "I’m going to get some rest. Later," she muttered, pushing off the wall with a lazy wave. Mozrael took a step toward her. "But—Lia... she’s—" "Expecting her family," Kesha cut her off without turning. "I’ll introduce myself later—as the one who saved her life, She’ll owe me a favor." She tried to sound smug, cocky even. But Henndar and Kethra each placed a hand on Mozrael’s shoulder, gently holding her back. She watched Kesha walk away, shoulders low, gait slow. Mozrael knew. She had come to accept Kesha as part of the family, too—and she could tell, despite everything, Kesha cared. Deeply. Kesha hid it well. But the relief on her face when she heard Lia’s muffled voice through the door? That had been real. And now, with the weight off her chest, exhaustion finally caught up with her. For now, it was okay. The door creaked open. Lia turned her head at the sound, her breath catching in her throat. A moment later, she heard them—those voices she’d longed for, those familiar voices that had kept her tethered in the dark. Her family. Henndar stepped in first, his eyes instantly misting over as they locked with hers. Mozrael rushed in behind him, her hands clenched tightly in front of her chest, lips trembling. Kethra followed quietly, her usual composed demeanor cracked by the emotion in her gaze. And behind them all... "You’re awake," Henndar finally said, voice heavy with held-back emotion. Lia couldn’t stop the tears. They fell silently as she nodded, her chest tightening with overwhelming relief. Her arms opened instinctively, and that was all it took. They rushed to her. Mozrael reached her first, wrapping her arms around her sister with a broken sob. "You’re back... You’re back," she whispered. Henndar knelt by the bed, pressing his forehead gently to hers, holding her like she might vanish again. Kethra laid a soft hand on Lia’s shoulder, her grip warm, grounding. Lia held onto them all like lifelines, laughing and crying all at once. "I missed you... I missed you all so much." Lia was surrounded by warmth, by love. And even though wounds still lingered in the room, hearts were beating again. Together. As the initial wave of emotion passed, Lia exhaled slowly and tried to get back up and onto the bed, but something was wrong. Her brow furrowed. She tried again. Nothing. She looked down at her legs. Her blanket barely shifted. "Dad...?" Her voice cracked, unsure, almost childlike. "Can you help me up?" Henndar moved toward her with a kind smile. "Of course." But as he gently took her hand and started to lift, she let out a shaky breath. "No-I mean... I..." She looked down again. "... I can’t feel them." The room went quiet. Aramith stiffened, suddenly remembering the oddness about her movement. Mozrael blinked, not understanding at first. Kethra glanced toward Henndar with silent alarm. Lia tried again, harder this time. Still nothing. A shadow of fear crept across her face.Why did her legs feel so... foreign? Lia looked up. "Why can’t I move my legs?" No one spoke. The moment was broken only when Aiden entered quietly, his face unreadable. "I was going to speak with you all after she rested," he said. His voice was soft, but it had weight. "The coma lasted longer than any of us hoped. There was damage...by the worms. Her body’s been inactive for too long as well. The nerves..." He hesitated. "She may never walk again." Lia’s lip trembled, her expression cracking. "So... I’m... crippled?" Mozrael reached for her immediately, tears already welling again. "No, no, you’re not broken, Lia—" "Then why can’t I feel anything?" Silence. Aramith’s heart fell. It was happening all over again—another nightmare. Outside the room, Kesha had paused mid-step and quietly come back to stand beside the door, still hesitating to leave. She didn’t turn around, but her hand balled into a fist at her side. Her face was carefully neutral, but her jaw was clenched. She had feared this. And now it was real. She rested her head briefly against the wall, eyes closed. Then she walked away.