Maerwyn awoke to strange noises and rustling around her. She smelled something she couldn't place—not foul, but unfamiliar. The scent was clean and cool, with a hint of antiseptic, a kind of fragrance she'd never encountered before.
She slowly opened her eyes and was immediately greeted by the light from the ceiling. She felt the soft bed beneath her back, an unfamiliar sensation that seemed to invite her to rest. People bustled around her—she didn't recognize them, but their movements were swift and organized as if they were racing against time.
"Where am I?" she wondered, taking in the smooth, white walls surrounding her. The bright light seemed to emanate not from the sun but from glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling. This was unlike the dark, cold world she knew.
"She's awake!" a woman in white, from head to toe, announced. The fabric of her clothing was clean and gleaming in the light. Maerwyn noticed two other women staring at her, similarly dressed—white and immaculate, suggesting authority and purity.
Their movements were rapid as if every second was precious. There seemed to be no time for hesitation or questions. Amidst the flurry of activity, Maerwyn felt the weight of their gazes. "What are they doing? Why am I here?" questions raced through her mind as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.
A new group of people entered. They were also clad in white, just like the cloth the man had draped over her earlier. One of them approached—the same man. His eyes were filled with sadness and gravity as if he carried a secret he couldn't share with her.
"Miss... do you remember your name?" he asked gently, his voice soft and laced with concern as if each word he uttered might hurt if not spoken slowly.
She looked at the man, her curiosity laced with apprehension. She didn't answer. Not because she didn't want to explain, but because she didn't know how. Her entire life, she'd never been asked. All she'd heard were commands, sharp words with no room for explanation or doubt. Disobedience was tantamount to death.
But now, here she was, being asked by a stranger with a gentle voice. How do I answer? Do I need to answer? Or is this a test in the world of the dead? She wondered. Questions flooded her mind, but she lacked the strength to speak.
She studied the man, searching for any clue in his expression. But all she saw was deep sadness and concern, the look of someone willing to wait, no matter what her answer might be.
Her chest grew heavy, and she felt once again the helplessness that had always shrouded her being. The world seemed to slow down, each second stretching into an eternity. But despite it all, she remained silent, waiting to see what would happen next.
The people around her exchanged glances as she remained silent. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, wondering why not a single word escaped her lips. Her silence was a puzzle they couldn't solve.
"Are you okay? Your head? You don't feel dizzy?" another man, older than the first, asked calmly. His voice was gentle as if soothing her soul, but it didn't provide her with answers. Instead, it only shook her further.
His voice was different—soft, full of concern. It wasn't like the voices she had heard in the past, voices that always carried a threat or anger. She remembered the old leader of their village, whose every word was a death sentence. That presence, cold and cruel, was the opposite of what she felt now—a warmth that was foreign but not frightening.
However, she remained silent. The man's questions were like words trying to open a door in her mind, but she didn't know how to respond. Maybe in this place, there were laws she didn't know, rules that could be broken by the wrong word.
Her curiosity was evident in her eyes, but her fear held her back. She chose to observe rather than speak.
"Where's the guardian? Isn't she here yet?" someone else asked, their voice slightly irritated.
"He's on the way, Doc," replied a woman in white, busy examining a device she held.
"We need to have her examined thoroughly. This is the first case where this has happened," the doctor responded as the others continued their discussion. Their voices blended, creating a cacophony that battled within her mind. But no matter how lively the conversation around her, she felt like she was in another world. The words became muffled sounds, and their movements seemed like a hazy dream.
Suddenly, a weak, trembling voice cut through the air.
"Where is my daughter? Kaelyn… Kaelyn…"
The sound pierced through Maerwyn's senses, sharper than the hum of conversations that had filled the room moments ago. Her body stiffened as silence fell like a weight over everything. She barely noticed the shifting movements of others until the crowd parted, revealing a man slowly making his way forward.
Maerwyn's breath caught. Something was haunting about him—his trembling frame, the way he dragged his feet as though each step bore an unbearable weight. Her gaze locked on his face, damp with sweat and etched with raw emotion. His dark eyes glimmered, not with certainty, but with a fragile hope that unsettled her.
When their eyes met, her heart gave a jolt, a strange, unwelcome pang that left her feeling unsteady. She didn't move. Couldn't. Who was he? And why did his gaze feel like it carried a piece of a life she couldn't recall?
The man nearly lost his balance as he stared at her, his gaze unwavering. "Kaelyn..." he whispered, the name barely audible, a sound she had never heard before. His lips trembled, etched with sorrow and longing that sent shivers down her spine.
The man got closer, his hands trembling as he reached out, hesitant and reverent, as though afraid she might vanish if he moved too suddenly. When his fingers finally brushed against her cheek, his touch was filled with a mixture of hope and fear—a longing so profound it made her heart ache in ways she couldn't understand.
"My child… Is it you? Kaelyn, you're alive!" His voice cracked, and the tears that followed came in torrents, his sobs raw and unrestrained.
Maerwyn's heart felt heavy, a dull ache spreading through her chest. The man's tears seemed to melt away something deep inside her, yet no matter how much she tried to remember, her mind remained shrouded in darkness.
At that moment, an unfamiliar sensation stirred within her—a strange, flickering warmth that both frightened and captivated her. It was as though a fire long extinguished had been reignited, yet she didn't know what it would consume.
Her thoughts swirled like a storm, full of questions without answers. Who was he? Who was Kaelyn? And why did it feel like this man's presence held the key to a story she didn't know but somehow desperately needed to uncover?