The room was dim, lit only by the glow of soft golden magic swirling over Rayne's body, and the calm lightbulbs around the room. He lay motionless on a treatment bed, his skin pale, sweat glistening across his brow. His arm, the one that had been cut, was wrapped tightly in bandages soaked in glowing herbal salve, but the veins beneath still pulsed with a dark, spidering poison.
Three healer mages stood over him, chanting in unison, pouring magic into him, yet it was doing nothing.Absolutely nothing.
Princess Emeney stood nearby, fists clenched, eyes wide with desperation. Her nightwear had been replaced with a simple robe, but her hair remained undone, her expression one of raw, frantic emotion.
"Why isn't he waking up?" Her voice cracked.
One of the healers, an older woman, lowered her hands with a trembling breath. "Your Highness…we've tried every known method. Whatever poison was on that blade…it's resisting our magic"
"Try again!" She snapped, stepping forward. "I don't care how long it takes!"
"Princess…."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" She hissed, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "He's dying!""
The room went quiet. Even the magic seemed to dim.
Commander Dion stood at the far side, calm as usual, but with a curious look. Xander, leaning by the wall, stared at Emeney with furrowed brows, stunned by the intensity of her fear. He had never seen her like this, not for anyone, especially not for Rayne.
"Emeney…" He stepped forward cautiously. "He's just a guard. You shouldn't let this shake you like…."
Her head whipped toward him, her voice cold and sharp. "Don't finish that sentence"
The room fell silent again.
The lead healer finally spoke, hesitating "We believe the poison is too strong for us…we're only B-Class mages. This kind of magic is advanced, ancient even"
"Then what do we do?" Emeney asked, her tone desperate again.
The healer bowed her head. "You'll need an A-Class healer. One who specializes in dark magic poisons. Someone with power that rivals the original caster"
Xander straightened. "I can make arrangements for a search…"
"No…." Emeney interrupted. "I know someone"
She turned away and summoned her phone, dialing with trembling hands. "Anya? I need you. It's urgent…Yes, it's about someone poisoned. An A-Class attack. Please, come quickly. I'll explain when you arrive"
She ended the call and returned to Rayne's side, pulling the chair closer and sitting down slowly. She took his cold hand in both of hers and stared at his face.
"Just hold on" She whispered.
Xander stepped forward again, harboring unsettled feelings with her actions. "You should rest. I'll take watch. You've done enough"
"I'm not leaving him" Her tone was soft but unshakable.
He frowned. "It'll be twenty-four hours before Anya gets here"
"Then I'll be here twenty-five"
Her gaze never left Rayne.
Xander stood frozen, watching the girl he loved sit beside another man, fighting for his life like her own depended on it. And deep inside, something bitter stirred. Something jealous. Something afraid. Because in that moment, it became very clear. Rayne wasn't just a guard. Not to Emeney.
***
Night blanketed the sky, silent and still, the moonlight spilling through the wide windows of the infirmary chamber where Rayne lay resting, his breath shallow but steady.
A soft rustling broke the stillness as his fingers twitched, his brows knit in discomfort. Slowly, he stirred, groaning faintly as his heavy eyes blinked open. The ceiling above came into view, blurred at first, before coming into focus. And then, he turned his head and saw her.
Princess Emeney, curled up at the edge of his bed, her head resting on the mattress beside his arm, breathing softly in her sleep. Her hair had fallen forward in waves, and one of her hands lightly clutched the edge of his blanket.
Rayne's lips curled into a small, disbelieving smile. She stayed.
Just then, Emeney stirred, blinking herself awake. Her eyes adjusted, and when she saw his, her entire expression lit up. "Rayne?" She gasped, sitting upright in shock. "You're awake!"
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Hey, Princess"
She didn't even realize her hand had grabbed his until she felt his thumb brush over her knuckles. "You scared me"She said, barely above a whisper, voice thick with emotion. "You weren't waking up…and they couldn't heal you. You weren't getting better"
Rayne looked down at himself. "Still feel like death…but not dead yet" He winced, exhaling. "Must be a record"
There was a pause. A silence thick with unspoken worry. Then, as though catching herself, Emeney quickly let go of his hand, straightening up and smoothing her robe. Her tone tried to return to neutral. "You don't get to die that easily. I still haven't decided if I like you yet"
Rayne's eyes twinkled. "That almost sounded like a confession"
She blinked at him, thrown off. "What?"
He let out a weak chuckle. "The Princess has emotions after all. Who would've guessed?"
She folded her arms, turning her face slightly away to hide the redness creeping up her cheeks. "Don't flatter yourself"
He grinned, despite the discomfort in his body. Then after a moment, his eyes wandered over her carefully. "You know, you really are full of surprises"
"What now?"
"You're an A-Class mage" He tilted his head, mock accusatory. "You've been holding out on me"
She raised a brow, crossing her legs. "You think I got my position from being pretty?"
He smirked. "Well, that does help"
She threw a cushion she had been using at him, but it fell short. He chuckled, and she couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips.
"You're different when you're not being a mysterious brooding wall" She said softly.
He met her eyes with a gentleness that made her heart skip. "And you're different when you're not busy being royalty"
They held that moment. A quiet understanding building between them. But it didn't last.
Suddenly, Rayne's body jerked violently, a low gasp escaping his lips as he arched off the bed. His fingers clenched the sheets, and his eyes rolled back slightly as he began to convulse.
"Rayne!" Emeney cried out, immediately grabbing him. "No…No, no, no…"
She shouted toward the door. "Healer! Someone! He's seizing!"
The healer mage burst into the room seconds later, rushing to his side and immediately beginning to work. A glowing circle of healing magic expanded beneath the bed, pulsing rapidly as the healer placed both hands over Rayne's chest.
"The poison's attacking his heart" The healer hissed. "We're losing him again!"
Emeney stood frozen for a second, then moved, gripping Rayne's hand tightly as her other hand hovered beside the healer's"Do it" She commanded. "Stabilize him…NOW!"
With sweat trailing down her temple and her own magic rising to the surface, she refused to let go of him, whispering his name again and again. "You're not leaving me. Do you hear me? Rayne…just hold on. Please, just hold on"
The magic glowed brighter as they fought to save him once more. The room was filled with urgency, fear, until he began calming down and his heart rate and pulse went back to normal. He was now passed out again but stable. They both sighed with relief. The healer mage made sure everything was alright once more before leaving, while Emeney took her seat beside him, but now more worried as she kept staring at him.
***
Darkness. Then, a slow awakening. Rayne stood alone, his boots pressing into damp earth as mist coiled around his legs. The air was thick, warm with the scent of ash and rain, familiar, yet distant.
His eyes flickered to the towering ruins around him, stone structures, crumbling and overtaken by time, vines creeping over them like nature reclaiming its throne. This place…he knew it. Then it hit him. The dragon's lair.
Rayne turned in a slow circle, cautious. 'Why am I here?' He sighed, knowing what comes next.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "Haven't been herein a while."**
A shadow shifted. A deep, rumbling voice echoed through the mist.
"You awaken at last"
Rayne whirled around, and there, standing atop a jagged rock formation, was the dragon leader. The massive beast, a behemoth of dark crimson, radiated an ancient power. Its piercing golden eyes locked onto Rayne with a knowing stare.
Rayne smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, well. Look who decided to visit my nightmares…well the one you set up for me"
The dragon huffed, releasing a plume of smoke. "You are not dreaming, boy. You are here"
Rayne arched a brow. "That so? Because last I checked, I was kind of busy dying"
"You are not dead. The dragon's voice was measured, a weight behind its words. "But you are close enough for me to reach you since you didn't reach out as planned"
Rayne's smirk faltered slightly. "What do you want?"
The dragon shifted, stepping down from its perch. "To warn you"
Rayne tilted his head. "About?"
The dragon's golden eyes darkened.
"He is coming" He announced with a stern expression and voice.