Y/N's POV
Sleep escaped me that night after I awoke from my nap earlier on during the evening. Thoughts and unanswered questions running wild in my mind preventing the peaceful embrace of sleep from taking me.
The next morning when the nurse came by to wake me up and change my bandages she was met by the horrible sight of me lying on the bed, eyes wide open and blood shot with dark rings around them.
To say I looked like a zombie was an understatement for the poor woman ran out the room screaming.
By the time Zayne came running into the room I was sat up hunched over with my hair draping down over my face and a dark aura surrounding me; all the while I groggily scolded myself for taking that nap during the day before.
"It's quite alright, nurse Francis, it appears she's just sleep deprived. I'll handle things from here." Zayne dismissed the nurse who was quick to scurry away, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He stepped up to my bed, arms crossed as he looked down at me disapprovingly.
"Don't." I grumbled with a sigh.
"Staying up all night and this time you don't have the excuse of work. How many times must I tell you the importance of sleep." Zayne sighs, removing his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose.
"Like you can say much, didn't you pull an all night the other week for some book." I snarked back half arsed.
"Y/n..." He sighs my name. "Let's just sort your wound, there's no point arguing." He says while gesturing for me to sit up properly so he could tend to my back wound.
We sit in silence as he removes the old bandages, cleans the wound and rebinds it with clean bandages. Once done he taps my shoulder signally for me to put my hospital gown back on. I slip my arms through the arm holes, holding the thin sheet-like fabric up against my front while he ties it up at the back for me.
He proceeds to inform me that I'd need to change my bandages twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. Zayne leaves shortly after leaving me to sit and eat my breakfast alone while watching the tv in my room.
An hour passes before the nurse from earlier cautiously enters the room to hand me the discharge papers, Xavier trailing just behind the nervous nurse. She must be new to Akso Hospital.
Once I sign the papers and get changed into the clothes Xavier brought me I find myself sat in the passenger seat of his white car. Xavier and I are sitting in silence as my mind is once again occupied by the thoughts of Rafayel.
"You're being awfully quiet." Xavier notes as we stop at some lights.
"Hmm." I hum in response not really caring for a conversation.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He asks.
Sighing I turn away from watching the water droplet on the window race another to the bottom.
"Do you think there are other life forms out there? Like beyond humans." I question the platinum boy, sparing him a glance before watching as the traffic lights turn green.
"We live in a world where an alien life force we call wanderers are constantly invading our home. You're gonna have to be more definitive than that." Xavier chuckles turning down the road leading to our home.
"I mean besides wanderers. Not an alien species either, more like something mythical, like the Loch Ness monster." I clarify.
"Hmm, I've never really thought about fantasies being real. Then again I wouldn't disregard it either with wanderers and all." Xavier hums in thought as he pulls into the drive.
"Why are you even thinking about that anyway?" He asks as we exit the car making our way into the apartment complex we both coincidentally live in.
"Remember when we were fighting and I asked you if you had fought any normal knaves?" I asked.
"Back when we were saving your friend? Sure, I said I hadn't." Xavier clicks the buttons to the fourth and fifth floors in the elevator.
"Well, I've been having this recurring dream or well dreams and .... I don't know.... Some part of me feels as if I've seen the events which play out before, like a distant memory I can't remember. It's really bugging me." I sigh slumping against the elevator wall.
"Yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream." Xavier says holding his chin in thought as the doors ping and open up on my floor.
I step towards the exit of the elevator and turn to Xavier in confusion to what he just said.
"Khalil Gibran said that." He informs me. "Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions. Edgar Cayce. Whatever you have dreamed, Y/n, try and open your mind to the hidden meaning." Before I can comment on what he's said, the doors to the elevator close.
Still confused I shrugged and I turn to walk down the corridor towards my apartment. Opening the door I make a beeline for the sofa and slump down almost immediately on it.
'It seems you've finally remembered.' Those words kept echoing in my mind but there was no way what I'm thinking to be true is actually real.
'Try and open your mind to the hidden meaning.' Xavier's words echo shortly after Rafayels.
'Even if what I dreamed was true, surly I'd remember meeting a boy with a fish tail.' I think to myself as I once more find my mind spiralling. As the thought crosses my mind an image of younger me and Rafayel talking on the rock flashes in my mind. Almost instantly I feel heat in my cheeks and the rapid beating of my heart against my chest.
"Nope, NOpe, NOPe, NOPE!" I screamed, slapping my hands on my cheeks.
'And I'm sure I'd remember if I ever had feelings for a half man half fish... Wait! When did this become about feelings?... Tahhhhh I'm overthinking again.' Shaking my head I stand up deciding to have a shower to get ride of the hospital smell lingering to me and then try to get some sleep.
After playing twister in the shower trying to avoid my wound and then struggling to rebind the bandages; I finally climb into my bed, sleep still foreign as I just laid there staring at the ceiling.
Letting out a whine of frustration I bury my face into my pillow and let out a small cry. "I just want to sleeeeeeeeeeeep." I complained.
Yet my complaints go unheard. After an hour of trying to sleep but to no avail, I climbed out of bed walking over to a nearby bookshelf to grab something to read as that usually makes me tired.
As I'm scanning the spines of the books, I come across an old photo album. Picking it up I walk out into the living room placing it on the coffee table while I go grab a cup of hot tea.
Sitting down with my brew, I grabbed the album and began to flip through the pages of old memories captured by the modern technology known as a camera. A small smile graces my lips at the images before me.
That was till I turned the page about halfway through the book to see and imagine of Caleb feeding an 11 year old me soup. I didn't look to be in the best of health nor was I in my room but a hospital bed. Looking at the date written in the corner of the photo it felt as if a sack of bricks came crashing down on me.
October 15th 2031.
'This happened before the wanderers first appeared.' I mentally note.
I removed the image from the small polly pocket it was in and flipped the image to see the inscription in the back.
'Y/n aged 11 hospitalised with a fever after a visit to Hat Island, Caleb aged 13 feeding her soup.'
I stare at the imagine for a good long moment before scrambling to find my phone pushing the call button on Caleb's contact.
~~~
To Be Continued