I woke up with a dull headache, distracted for a moment because of the discomfort but I soon noticed that I was lying on a warm bed in an unfamiliar room.
I sat up on the bed, taking note of my environment. The room was a small one, with an old fashioned furniture and decoration. A bit dusty as I could see a few layers of dust on the table besides me. Probably hasn't been used in years.
Thinking it would be wise to explore my environment, I tried to stand and walk but I had overestimated the amount of strength I had in me.
I stumbled over and hit the ground with a loud thud and somehow with great misfortune, I managed to hit my leg on the table.
"Oww" I groaned in pain, curling up in a ball as I squeezed my eyes shut while I gripped my leg which was hurt.
This body is too weak...
And maybe alerted by the sound of me falling and hitting my leg, someone walked in to the room.
I opened my eyes and looked up at the person.
A female. With light blue hair and a few tribal markings on her forehead and left cheek. She was very light in complexion.
She was quite beautiful, though. Even with the mean expression on her face. She seemed to be in her late teenage years. Probably eighteen or nineteen.
"Hey," I said in my attempt to start a conversation while I remained on the floor.
And the beautiful female sighed and walked towards me while saying,
"I gave you a mixed dose of anetone and sefozol which were a bit too heavy for your body so don't expect to recover till a few days later."
And she helped me up and placed me back on the bed.
"Alright, thank you. But if I may ask, what happened to me earlier?" I asked the lady.
"I was told by my little sister, Iris, that she found you in the forest and you had fainted after that. So she carelessly brought you- a stranger, to our house. Your body was weak because of too much exposure to direct mana and I opted to throw you out but grandpa and my sister insisted I treat you. I gave you sefozol to keep more mana from invading your body and anetone to heal your inner injuries but both medicine combined has a disastrous effect on your not-so-strong body. But tell me, was saving you useful?"
How could I possibly answer that? but well, I had to give a reply.
"First of, thank you for helping me. And for your other question... It depends on what I can do for you. Is there anything you want?" I asked.
"No. Just get out."
"Sure," I shrugged her reply off.
She had helped me and I couldn't pay her back at the moment- not that I even had much intention to. It was better to leave.
But I had forgotten something... I was still too weak to leave.
"Miss... Can I stay here for a while? I'll be out before nighttime. My body is not in it's best state, please."
She nodded in reply.
"I know. Which is why you can stay till you've recovered."
Then why did you tell me to get out....?
Perhaps she saw my questioning expression so she explained to me.
"Why I told you to get out? well, I was venting off my anger on having to take care of another patient even at home. I am Naiyah, by the way. What is your name?"
"Nefari." It was better to leave my full name out. And though it's been centuries since the world last heard of me, I couldn't take the risk. My enemies were still alive and active.
"Like the first hero of the nineteenth century? wow, what a daring name."
I guess it was too late to give a fake name. Naiyah's compliment made me realize I was more popular than I originally thought I was. But I still could give a fake surname.
"So anyways, I will be leaving, now. I will prepare something for you to eat before my grandfather arrives and interrogates your existence." Said Naiyah with a beaming smile as she leaves the room.
And I smiled back for curtsey.
Something was off about Naiyah. Within the short period we had a conversation, I had discovered her aura was constantly flicking between weak and powerful. Like a forced drop of power level or chaotic internal injuries.
It didn't seem much but cases like this were always leading to death. Uncontrollable mana always brought extreme damage. Take my earlier case for example. I was unaware of the amount of mana pouring into my body and it caused damage. I wasn't controlling it.
And Naiyah's symptom seemed to be the condition.
But I could be wrong and It could be a slight malfunction based on little reasons.
And so I thought about various other things before I fell asleep. Into the land of bliss.
*
I woke up to the sweet aroma of food in the air which suddenly remembered my stomach to growl in request for food.
I opened my eyes and was met with the sight of Naiyah beside me with a tray of delicious looking food.
"Here, lemme feed you." Said the beautiful angel as she scooped a spoon full of whatever the white seed looking stuff was and shoved it in my mouth.
It was a bit awkward as she stared at me intensely, watching me chew food as if it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen but well, the food was delicious so I'm not complaining.
"Y'know, you remind me of my mother. I can't tell if it's your aura or your eyes.... Do you know of any woman with green hair and green eyes?"
I slowly shake my head; no, in reply to her question.
There was only one woman I knew with green hair and eyes. And that was the former siren queen that died many decades ago along with most of her clan. Could it be her?
No, I thought. It couldn't be her.
The chances were too low and the possibility of Naiyah being related to her was a bit too vast for me to agree with without actual facts.
And it was silence as we engulfed into a rhythmic pattern of her feeding me and me chewing. Until I got full.
I slowly blocked the incoming spoon filled food with my hand as I smiled at her and said,
"I'm alright, thank you."
"You sure? I checked your system while you were asleep and it was pretty empty."
Well, other than sleeping, I submerged into my consciousness to heal my body with the surrounding mana thereby making me full of energy and without the need for much food.
"I'm sure, thank you. I'm a light eater." Not really...
"Okay. Good timing, actually. My grandfather just arrived. His presence is here."
And after her words, a tall bulky man with tan skin walked in.
He had grey long hair packed in a ponytail with a shaved beard. His upper body was bare revealing his chest riddled with scars and marks from battles along with similar tribal marks like Naiyah's. He wore a pair of black pants along with heavy looking boots and I could see the weapons hanging on his arms, legs and back.
It was a terrifying look for an old man. And the signature scar was crossed from his eyebrow to his eyes stopping a bit before reaching his cheek.
"She is the one." He said as his blue eyes stared into mine. And for some reason, I felt danger signs ringing in my head. I don't want to be the one. Whatever 'the one' means.
"Iris brought a stranger home after her little escapade and was quite insistent in keeping and helping this stranger so I agreed and fortunately... I met you. Call it fate."
I was confused and alerted because of the old man's words and I did not know if it was possession or something else, I just sat up fully and looked at the man as if waiting for something important.
"Asura." He whispered the name but I could still hear it. And it brought chills to my heart.
Don't tell me... He knows?
And he knelt on one knee, bowed with his hand on his heart.
"Naiyah, out."
Shocked from the sudden turn of events and why her grandfather had suddenly demanded for her exit, Naiyah looked at me as if asking for answers but before either one of us could say a thing, the old man replied looking up at us.
"I have important things to discuss with you, Asura. And Naiyah, I request you leave immediately. Time cannot be wasted."
Still shocked but obeying her grandfather's wishes, Naiyah leaves the room in confusion and in a daze staring back and forth between the both of us.
Cute, I thought.
And then I was left alone with the weird old man.
Naiyah, don't go...!
He stood up from his knees and looked at me.
"You may not know of this but I, Astragal, has never stopped in my search for you, Asura. Years after your proclaimed death, the kingdom began to realize your actual value but it was too late. The demons became even more powerful without the aid of your suppression and now, they roam across almost every part of the nations unhindered."
He stopped talking for a while and waited for my response but seeing me rest my head on the pillow and close my eyes, he understood that I had no intention to say or do anything. So he continued.
And I doubted if I could do my mission, peacefully, now.
Goodness, help me. Who do I turn to for help?
Death, maybe. But it will never be my choice. Fight till the end as I've always done.
And it seems I'm about to dive into more battles. Sigh.
I finally resurrected and in a span of two days- I guess, who knows how long I've been out for. I fainted, got saved and I met a person who was related to my past life one way or another.
******
A/N: More mystery! Who is Asura, who is Astragal and who is Naiyah and Iris? How are they all related?
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS CHAPTER, I WILL EXPLAIN. Nefari was taken home by Iris, the little girl she met before she fainted. And Iris was soo insistent on saving Nefari, so grandpa Astragal agreed. Naiyah was the one who saved her, actually. But it seems she didn't do it willingly. Nefari woke up and when grandpa Astragal laid his eyes on her, he discovered that she was 'Asura'. And Nefari has a rough idea on what's going on. Why grandpa called her 'Asura.'
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-Quinn out!
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