"Is she dead?"
"Idiot! The physician already told us she's fine. Why ask if she's dead?"
"Well, you know the arrow struck in her chest wasn't ordinary. It was Finley's arrow."
Voices. Rylaindrein heard voices, though she didn't know where they were coming from or who they belonged to. The only thing she knew was that they were near. She tried to feel her body, testing if she was still alive, and was surprised to find herself breathing. Though the wound where the arrow struck her upper chest still hurt, she was undeniably alive.
But wait, if she was breathing, then...
Her eyes flew open, and the first thing she saw was a ceiling made of coconut leaves woven into ropes. However, her hazy vision made it look like grass.
"Oh, she's awake!"
Her gaze shifted toward the source of the voice on her left. Two men stood there, staring at her. Rylaindrein blinked as she took them in.
"I'm alive?" she murmured, her voice uncertain. Her eyes widened as they settled on their clothing, confusion washing over her. "Or not?"
The men's wardrobes were odd and unfamiliar—torn clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in a year. Around their necks, they wore necklaces made of stones, wood, and… animal teeth?
"Wait, teeth?" Rylaindrein pointed at one man's necklace, her voice tinged with disbelief.
The man looked at her in surprise before glancing down at his necklace. The two men exchanged puzzled looks.
Scanning their appearances further, she noticed their long hair, braided into small sections, and headdresses fashioned from animal horns. Their bracelets were made of stones, and they weren't wearing shoes.
"This is weird," she muttered, her eyes narrowing.
"Is this the afterlife?" she whispered, looking around the small hut. Its walls were made of coconut leaves, and her bed was a simple wooden frame without a mattress.
"Are you alright, AA?"
'AA?' Rylaindrein frowned. Who's AA?
Despite the pain in her chest, she managed to sit up, wincing slightly. The two men hurried to her side, attempting to help.
"Am I dead?" she asked, pointing to herself. "And are you two dead too?"
The men glanced at each other and burst into laughter.
"What are you talking about, AA? Of course, we're alive. And so are you," said the man with brown eyes, smiling warmly.
"I'm alive?" she repeated, pointing to herself. Confusion clouded her features. She stood up quickly—
"You shouldn't move like that! The arrow was removed, but your wound is still serious. You need to rest," one of them urged.
Rylaindrein froze, staring at them. Had she misheard?
"What are you talking about? An arrow?" She chuckled nervously. "I was shot by a gun, dimwits!"
The two men exchanged glances, their faces growing serious. They didn't seem to understand some of her words. Rylaindrein's laughter faded, her expression hardening.
"You're not joking, are you?" she asked cautiously. They remained silent, their looks unreadable. She sighed and scanned the room. "But what the hell is this place?"
She pushed past them and stepped outside. Her jaw dropped. Before her stretched a village of wooden huts. The people wore the same strange attire as the two men—torn clothes, animal horn headdresses, and stone jewelry.
Children ran around, their faces painted in colorful patterns.
"What is wrong with this place?" she whispered, her eyes darting everywhere. This wasn't the bustling city she lived in. The air was cold—so unlike the sweltering heat of Manila.
Realizing why she was cold, she looked down and froze in horror. She was wearing the same attire as the women in the village—a thin, short outfit that exposed her stomach and legs. She wasn't wearing shoes either.
"What is this?" she whispered, horrified. "What is this place?"
"This is obviously where we live, AA," the man with black eyes said from behind her. She turned to see that both men had followed her. Her gaze narrowed, suspicion and fear rising within her.
'Is this heaven?' she thought, her mind racing. 'No, heaven wouldn't let me in. I'm destined for hell.'
"You two," she said sharply, her voice trembling. "Who are you? What is this place? And why the hell are you dressed like that?"
The two men gaped at her, clearly confused.
"What do you mean, AA?" asked the brown-eyed man. "Don't you remember us?"
"Just answer me, idiot!"
"You've lost your memory?" the black-eyed man asked, his tone laced with concern. He pointed at himself. "It's me, Zale Jarek! Don't you remember now?"
'Zale Jarek?' she thought, frowning. She didn't recognize the name.
"And I'm Kendrick Farrel, your best friend," the brown-eyed man added. "This is your home, AA."
"Stop calling me AA!" she snapped. "My name is Rylaindrein Amory Fitzgerald. What's with this 'AA'? It's making me sick!"
"But you are AA," they insisted in unison.
Rylaindrein ran a frustrated hand through her hair, growling in annoyance when she felt the headdress. She yanked it off and threw it to the ground.
"I am not AA!" she yelled. "I am Rylaindrein! Ry-lain-drein!"
The two men exchanged worried glances, clearly baffled.
She was about to argue further when her wound throbbed painfully. She groaned, clutching her side. Blood began seeping through the bandage.
"AA!" Kendrick exclaimed, rushing to support her.
"You need to rest," Zale scolded, guiding her back toward the hut.
But Rylaindrein froze when she saw the blood on her hands. Her throat felt dry, and an unfamiliar hunger gnawed at her insides.
'What's happening to me?' she thought, horrified.
"You're hungry, AA?" Kendrick asked, offering his arm. "Feed yourself."
Her eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"
Kendrick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're doing this again? Refusing to drink blood and starving yourself?"
Rylaindrein stumbled back. "Blood? Are you insane? I don't drink blood!"
Zale frowned. "AA, you're a vampire-werewolf. How could you forget that?"
Her laughter was hollow. "A vampire-werewolf? Really? What kind of ridiculous movie is this?"
And when she turned around to see a familiar face approaching, her heart sank.
"Yehua!?"