Dominik woke up, disoriented and groggy. As he looked at the window, he realized it was already nightfall. Pale moonlight streamed through, casting eerie shadows on the walls of his room. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, and sat up slowly. Every muscle in his body ached from the day's earlier training.
With a pained effort, Dominik swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, his movements slow and deliberate. He made his way to the balcony, each step a struggle. When he finally reached it, he leaned heavily against the railing and looked up at the night sky, filled with thousands of fugashus twinkling and moving against the vast darkness. The cool night air was refreshing against his skin, and for a moment, he felt a sense of peace.
As he gazed at the sky, Dominik's mind wandered to the flashes of memories that had been plaguing him since his arrival at Stonehenge. The castle felt overly familiar, almost like a place he had known in another life. His grandfather's evasiveness when asked about their connection to Stonehenge was suspicious. Now that he thought about it, his mother and grandfather having advanced medical skills despite being Class 5, who typically get no advanced education needed for that level of mastery, was even more suspicious. How had he never thought of these things before? Even more puzzling was his father, Kaine. Mistress Tamar mentioned him during the tour, and it made him remember the matriarch saying that his father traveled a lot. Surely, his father must have been here in this castle at some point in his life. But assuming that was true, how and why had he lost his memories, and why did everyone around him in Stonehenge seem to know more about his past than he did?
Dominik realized with a start that there had always been gaps in his memories, especially those from when he was ten years old and younger. It was strange that he couldn't seem to remember anything from that time.
His thoughts trailed to his childhood, and he remembered that he had not contacted his mother and Raphael since he arrived. He activated his chip and sent messages to his mother and Raphael, informing them that he was fine and settling in.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. A maid entered, bowing slightly. "Master Dominik, dinner is ready. You are invited to join us in the dining hall."
"Thanks, I'll be there in a few minutes," he responded.
Dominik's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. He struggled down to the dining hall, every step feeling like he was being squeezed. When he finally reached the hall, he found a sumptuous dinner spread out on the table. His grandfather, sitting at the head of the table, looked up and smiled.
"Ah, Dominik," his grandfather said, his eyes twinkling with approval. "I see Rika has done a good job breaking you in. You'll soon get used to it."
Dominik managed a weak smile and took his seat. The dinner passed without any significant events, but he couldn't shake the feeling that everyone around him was hiding something. After dinner, his grandfather led him to the healer's quarters.
After passing through about a million winding corridors, they arrived at the healer's area. The place was incredibly clean and warm. At the center of the room was the old master he had been introduced to at breakfast earlier, Master Saul. The man was old, older than his grandfather judging by his looks, with his white hair and equally white beard. He looked warm and welcoming and looked up from the book he was reading.
"Ah, Yammant, I see you're here with him," Master Saul said. His grandfather bowed lightly, saying, "Good evening, Master Saul."
Dominik followed suit with a waist-deep bow. "Good evening, Master."
"Good evening, please come in," Master Saul said.
Dominik and his grandfather entered the room from their position at the door. Upon entering, Master Saul ushered them into a seat. "So, Dominik, tell me what's wrong?"
Dominik sighed lightly and said, "I have been experiencing flashes of images ever since I arrived here. I have no problem with it, but it's accompanied by pounding headaches every time it happens."
The old master listened carefully as Dominik voiced his concerns. "What have you been seeing during the flashes of images?" he asked.
"I don't really know what it is, but they seem to be memories. Besides, there are so many things I can't remember. It feels like I'm going insane, and I feel like I don't even know who I am anymore," Dominik said.
The old man nodded and said, "I'll prescribe you some painkillers for the headache and some drugs to help calm and relax your mind. Being in a state of stress can cause you to see things. However, I'll have to do a complete brain scan to make a diagnosis about the flashes."
The old man sent for one of his apprentices and had them fetch the prescribed drugs. "Thank you," his grandfather said, and Master Saul waved it off.
"You've had Rika training him? You should have started him with Saif; he's gentler," Master Saul commented.
"We can't afford gentle at the moment," Dominik's grandfather responded.
As Master Saul examined the cuts and bruises on Dominik's body, he noticed that they had been treated remarkably well. His eyes narrowed as he inspected the wounds more closely. "What cream did you use on these?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
Dominik shrugged. "I made it myself. I've been using it on patients back home."
Master Saul's eyes widened with admiration. "That is impressive. I've never thought of that before. Your cream has remarkable healing properties for the wounds to look like this after a few hours."
Dominik listed the ingredients, and Master Saul's expression shifted from surprise to genuine amazement. "When did you learn?" he asked.
"My mother runs a clinic back home. We don't have funding, so we have to improvise a lot," Dominik responded.
"Ah, Lucille has been a great teacher to you. She was always so talented, one of the best healers I've seen. I shouldn't be surprised," the old man sighed.
Dominik's eyes widened in surprise. Master Saul had taught his mother? "You have a gift, Dominik. Your knowledge of healing is extraordinary. I would like you to come every evening to help here, after your training, of course. Your healing skills deserve to be honed."
Dominik was taken aback by the offer but quickly nodded. "Thank you, Master. I would be honored."
Meanwhile, Master Saul and Dominik's grandfather stayed behind to discuss. "He's a very talented boy. He has a lot of potential as a healer," Master Saul said. "But I'm afraid that if his memories are coming back, the seal is about to be broken."
Dominik's grandfather sighed, his face lined with worry. "I know, and I'm incredibly worried. However, the seal needs to be broken if he's to survive the consignment. You know that. I just hope that he'll be strong enough when it breaks."
Saul nodded slowly. "Just be careful. His mind is fragile. Too much too soon could break him. There's a reason we had to suppress him, and him going through the consignment is another issue. He looks so much like him."
"I know. We're making contingency plans," Dominik's grandfather said.