"Something must have happened."
"He did something. That must be it."
"Why do you think he did it? He can't take anything from her either now."
"Why else?"
Viella woke up from her sleep because of the chitter-chatter around her.
Their voices, although low, were enough to wake her.
Although she didn't hear the entirety of the conversation, she knew well enough who it was about. Her.
Sadly, she had heard enough to understand that her fiancé had decided to block the pathway between them.
This meant she could no longer take energy from him, nor he from her. It was, they said, a friendlier form of breaking the engagement.
Viella turned over, silencing the students who noticed her movement.
Behind her, they began to move away, leaving her alone in the infirmary—which looked more like a greenhouse instead.
Green plants and flowers of all shapes and sizes grew on top of high shelves standing on either side, filled with countless bottles of different shapes, sizes, and materials.
Some bottles had labels, while others were even decorated with beads.
Fighting off tears and the suffocating rise of heartbreak, Viella examined the bottles one by one, trying to imagine what they might be filled with.
But even with all those curious things before her, Viella's sight still blurred, and tears began to roll from her eyelids.
"You can cry, Viella. No need to hold it in," Raden said, jolting her. Viella hunched her shoulders even more as if the gesture would thicken the barrier between them.
"I have to say, you were quite amazing, given the circumstances," he said, bringing over a tray of tea and a small plate of cookies.
Viella frowned at it. Just last night, Raden had been cruel with his words, insinuating many horrible things about her.
But she guessed he must have said all of that out of anger. Still, she had not forgiven him.
"You know what this means. My nephew is still alive and aware of your existence. Tell me…" Raden said, his voice low but full of wonder, "Have you seen him in the eye of your mind?"
Viella meant to let him talk by himself, but her stomach rumbled, and the smell of vanilla tea was too much to ignore.
She pushed herself up, still giving him an evil look as she took the tea. Then she drank it. It was delicious.
"Well?" Raden asked with a small smirk. He knew the tea was good.
"I never saw him," Viella said, much to his disappointment. "But I did see something else. I saw a dragon." She set the cup of tea down and then took a cookie.
Oats with dried berries.
She ate it industriously, watching Raden's thoughtful expression.
"I was told when I was young that we are descendants of dragons... the protectors of realms… and I've never taken any of it seriously. Dragons have been extinct for so long, we don't even know when they vanished," he said thoughtfully, taking a seat by a full but tidy desk.
Viella had never heard anyone talk about dragons, not even in stories. They were myths, long forgotten among far more interesting folklore and legends.
Who would pay attention to a giant flying lizard that breathes fire? There were real, dangerous things out there to worry about.
"What happened to Gideon?" Viella finally asked, snapping Raden out of his thoughts. He sighed, then leaned back against his chair.
"That boy was pardoned by the King. He set sail with his crew as soon as he was released," Raden said.
Viella felt her body turning to stone, weighing her down.
Still tired, she went and lay back on the bed. The disappointment of him leaving without so much as a goodbye—even when he thought her a monster—hurt more than she would have expected. In the end, all of that, even if it was borrowed power, had been to save him.
And he didn't even care enough to say goodbye.
"Hah, don't beat yourself up too much over it. Boys like that have an idealistic worldview. I know it felt great and wonderful, but it's better for him to make his mistakes with someone else than with you," Raden said, which Viella guessed was his attempt to lift her spirits. She nodded, but still, she didn't feel very well.
"I heard what your students said. About him… severing the spell. Is that why I feel so bad now?" Viella asked, knowing the fatigue she felt wasn't normal. It was as if her bones were made of rubber. She had to drag herself.
"It could be. The spell I cast was never meant to be severed. It wasn't even meant to be tampered with or blocked. But I suppose I'm not the only powerful mage in existence. The side effects are completely unpredictable," Raden said, placing a hand on her temple.
"Hmm… you're burning up. I'll give you something for that," he said, then went to the herbalist's table where he began mixing some ingredients together: the usual roots, leaves, and flowers.
"Raden," Viella called to him.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry I ran away. It's just that… I always wanted to have a family. People who care and love me. I knew your nephew is alive but... I don't know him, I don't know where he is, and I don't even know whether he'll be back or not, so I just decided to go," Viella said, remembering the hurtful things he had said but apologizing anyway.
She would have loved to learn from him and become a great herbalist. But she had tossed the opportunity aside.
Raden nodded, continuing with his work.
Afterward, he whispered words under his breath, and a spiral of green light emerged from his hand. It made the mixture glow before returning to normal.
He then handed it to her.
"I suppose… I was… harsh on you, little one. I was also consumed by emotion," Raden said. It wasn't quite an apology, but it was enough to pass as one from someone like him, which put a weak smile on her lips.
He was never familiar to her or her siblings. But he was a steady figure.
Viella finished the medicine, feeling the spicy taste of it as it went down her throat. A rush of energy coursed through her veins, to her fingers and toes.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to make a difference.
She set the cup aside, an urgent question lingering in her chest.
"So… what now? It's obvious he's never coming back. He just decided to sever the spell himself. What does that mean for me?" Viella demanded, following Raden as he walked back and forth, deep in thought.
He looked as if he knew what he was doing, but Viella could see in his face that he was conflicted.
"Unfortunately, even I can't undo what was put in place," Raden admitted.
"But then I'll be stuck here forever! Never to marry! Never to have my own children?" Viella exclaimed. "I know now I'll never have it with Gideon, but does that mean I'm destined to be alone then?"
Raden scratched his head. "I was hoping he would come looking for you. But I think he has no such intentions… oh dear… I've made a bad judgment."
It was the last thing Viella wanted to hear. The love of her life had just left her, and all because of this other man. No.
"Raden! I will not sit by and wait forever for a man who will never come! Send me there," Viella said, surprising the older man.
He lifted one brow, stroking his long graying beard, thinking.
"I know what dangers lie beyond this realm… the vampires of that land are nothing like the ones of beauty here, nor the werewolves as civilized. It is a land of beasts where the lines that connect two realities meet. The magic is much stronger. The monsters much more dangerous," Raden said, his gaze seeming to wander to a distant place.
Viella contemplated his words. "But surely there are people there?"
"Oh yes. But we are monsters of a different kind," he said, then shook his head as if rejecting the idea.
"No! I cannot allow you to wander and get yourself killed! Your father would most likely hold a grudge against me. Not that there's anything he can do to me… but I've made a home for myself here."
Viella gritted her teeth.
She doubted her father would want to speak to her after what happened this morning.
But it was worth a try.
She wanted another life; she wanted freedom.
If she couldn't have her family now, at least she would know something beyond these walls.
"What if I talk to him? What if he gives me his permission?"
"Hmm… very well. If you have his permission, I will send you there. Just one thing," Raden said before Viella jumped off the bed.
"What?"
"Once you get there, there's no guarantee you can come back," Raden said with finality.
Viella nodded.
"That's fine. I don't want to come back anyway," she said.