Daylight filtered through my windows, the world silent and unmoving as I stared at the light cast on the wall. It was warm, my hands on top of the covers not cold at all and my head soothed even with something binding it.
I lay there for a while, not really feeling anything. My eyes were dazed and I couldn't really focus, until something close to an hour had passed and I started to feel this...throbbing.
It was the back of my head, along with my calves and back.
Frowning, my body struggled to move so I could find the mirror I gave Father and see what was wrong.
Big mistake.
"Ah...ahhHHHH!!!"
Tears went to my eyes as I cried, racking sobs making my head pound even more as I turned over. This was nothing compared to what I experienced at the twins' birthday, but pain was pain-no matter how much it was, it still hurt.
My HP, which was usually ridiculously high, was down. Like, way down. I wasn't close to death, no, but it was still shocking to see how much had been gouged out.
A door opened and I heard someone running in, but I didn't care to see as I sniffled like a little child, panting and trying to get my bearings. It wasn't even embarrassing to be seen as such, like if you are barely nicked by a rose thorn and you burst into tears even though you know it's nothing.
I was cuddled into someone's arms, being shushed and hiccuping. I couldn't breathe and wriggled as I tried to turn on my side, but I wasn't allowed to move and was simply held tight.
"Calm down, baby, you're safe. It's okay, it's okay, you're fine," I was held up and my face fell on a soft cheek as I was still squeezing out silent tears, a sob let out once in a while.
Something was brought to my mouth, and then I couldn't breathe anymore.
"Drink, you'll feel better, Sissy," a mutter was heard.
"Come on, Sissy, drink."
Something latched onto my hand, and I started breathing through my nose, which I forgot existed.
Calming down but still feeling sticky with tears on my face, I fell back asleep again and my head fell back as I conked out.
They were right; I felt way better. My head was the only thing that hurt, along with my chest.
However, I still felt very thirsty. My throat was dry, even after having that warm substance that tasted very familiar. It tasted like a mana potion, a very small one.
My MP, which was at two, rose by ten. My HP rose by three.
A bit later, the sun still in the same position, I rose up while groggy and propped myself on my own pillows.
My eyes were glazed, very blurry. I couldn't see a single thing, to the point I thought I needed glasses. That may very well have been the case, because everywhere I looked it became even worse until I activated a Skill that let me see like Knight did, without eyes but instead with a type of "third eye."
My head rolled to the side on the luxurious pillows, seeing someone through my closed eyes as they came through the door.
Magaris. She was carrying a platter balanced on one hand, opening and closing the door with the other.
She approached my prone form, feeling my cheeks since my forehead was bandaged.
"Still too cold," she shook her head. "What'll become of you now?"
"Ma-" I started, choking on my dry throat. My gums were throbbing for some reason, and I could feel my teeth doing weird things as my mouth closed.
"Fir? Are you awake?"
Ever so slightly, I nodded.
"Thank Zuelis," she sighed, sitting down on my bedside. "You gave us all a very bad scare again, fainting like that."
The fainting part? Not the healing from fatal wounds and vaporizing a Demonic rock in one punch?
"Are you feeling better?" She asked me, fumbling around on the platter with the bottles there. "Do you want something to drink?"
I nodded again, mouth opening. Magaris gasped and her eyes widened.
"Your teeth...is this because you're part Dragon?"
I didn't know. I sure felt nothing like a Dragon right now, more like a Vampire.
I whispered something, trying to draw my prey closer. My eyes were still closed and Magaris didn't understand anything, so she leaned down while putting her hair behind her ear.
"Is something wrong?" she asked when putting her ear to my lips.
Just a little nibble. Just one was fine.
Just give me your blood.
Having not heard anything from me, she pulled back with a frown just as my jaw went to weakly close on the tip of her ear.
"Can you not speak right now?" she asked me innocently. Irritation was boiling in my gut from letting my prey get away.
Draw it closer again, something whispered deep inside.
A small smile lifted on the corner of my barely parted lips, giving Magaris the idea I was bitterly unable to speak. It drove her away as she said, "Wait here, I'll go get the doctor for you!"
...I can't exactly move, now can I?
Foolish human girl.
--------------------------------------------------------------x-------------------------------------------------------------
A little while later, after being forced to drink more mana potions by Thérèse since she sneaked in and found me awake as well, I was allowed to sit up on my own.
My teeth had shrunk back after I'd been unable to trick anyone closer, and I had given up.
I guess I'll have to do things the normal, human way, my bad attitude sneered.
Stop it, Fir, something snapped in my mind. Snap out of it! Push it back!
Push what back?
The Vampire!
Who're you?! I growled at the invader.
I'm you! Kaya!
Leave, you split soul! I have no need for abominations! That same call for blood had surfaced again, and my teeth flashed for a few seconds in a war of attrition.
You! Go back to where you belong! Kaya shouted, making my head throb. My expression slightly twisted to one of confused discomfort as I became aware of my surroundings.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Someone sidled up to me on that part of the bed again, calling out while clasping my hand.
I looked over at Mother with my still closed eyes. A veil lifted off of me and I suddenly breathed easier as whatever was controlling me, got shoved deep inside again.
"Nothing," I whispered, coming back to my senses. My memories were a tiny bit fuzzy, but I could still pick out some events. My eyes snapped open as I realized I hadn't taken down the Demon. Since I wasn't able to move much, my head turned a bit to the side with my fuzzy vision and I asked calmly, "What became of the Demon?"
"It's still roaming around out there, so many villages had to be evacuated towards the noble houses. A lot of the forest was destroyed, which means there are a lot of economical and natural losses. The soldiers these days are focusing on driving away any monsters and beasts that come close to the mansion, since the main barrier was broken," Thérèse started speaking.
At the end of her report to me, like a sergeant to a captain, I nodded.
"What of the back forests?" I inquired about the place where we trained behind our house, the wide stretch of tall trees that were included in the barrier.
"They were overrun with smaller animals, seeking refuge."
"Did the arena break down?"
"No," the maid shook her head.
Good...that's one less thing I have to worry about. I can use it later.
"Now, about the Demon-" I started. Mother cut me off, irritated that I was talking about this the moment I woke up.
"Firea-Madeline, stop talking this instant!"
My eyes widened as I continued to stare at the floor, all the females in the room startled by Mother's outburst.
I dragged my lame gaze up to where I thought Mother's face was, and stared.
"Where do you think you are looking?" I was asked.
In between a rock and a hard place, I was suddenly dropped.
I gulped when a hand suddenly rose to my chin, taking my face towards someone else. I waited for a few seconds and saw something flicker, but not much else was done.
"She can't see," a voice said nonchalantly. It was the doctor Magaris had promised to get, one that had taken care of every cold or broken limb Hera and Adri had ever gotten before, and sometimes after, I was here.
"Well it's a little blurry," I admitted, blinking rapidly. "It'll probably clear up soon."
"No, it won't," the doctor, someone named Liza, dropped a bomb on me suddenly. Her hands cupped my cheeks and she was using mana to look at my conditions. "You deteriorated the mana quality in them and your healing systems when your mana counter ran past zero. I'm surprised it's even blurry, you shouldn't be able to see at all."
"Shocker..." I muttered suddenly, rolling my eyes. I should've seen this coming.
"Firea..." Mother growled. "What've I told you about-"
"They'll heal, in about fifty years," Liza announced. She was the most deadpan, blunt person I'd ever met. That's saying something, since I looked in the mirror everyday.
"What if I just filled them with mana again?"
"It's not about lacking in mana, it's about the quality of the mana. For one, you muddled what type of mana was in them, likely by getting that black dust in your eyes. For another, you destroyed the link of the mana flow in your body so it'll be hard to access them."
"Even for me?" I tipped my head to the side as she shoved it that way lightly.
"How should I know? I'm giving the diagnosis that I usually would for a regular patient, not a toddler genius," she huffed, blowing her hair out of her eyes. I knew that because she always did that, and because the third eye was still activated...only if I closed my eyes, that is.
"So I can fix them," I nodded to myself. "Good to know."
Mother was giving off the aura of a very upset woman, having been ignored. "Firea-Madeline, just because you can do things does not mean you should do them. Will you not take the time to rest and heal, like a normal little girl? My little girl? Your way of doing things does not always work."
"But-"
"No buts!" Mother was getting empowered while seeing me meekly unable to come up with an excuse. I felt that I owed my parents everything, like a normal child that was good and obedient, so I couldn't fight back when she asked something of me. "You will rest in this room for three more days, and then I will let you out! Is that understood?!"
"Nnnnnnnn..." I felt my eyes narrow, displeased. We both knew I could leave without her knowing, but we also knew I would try my darnedest to obey her. "Fine! But, I get to know more about the Demon situation!"
"As long as you rest," Mother sighed, hugging me happily.
I flinched when her hand brushed my back, but she couldn't see my face and didn't know not to touch there. The three other females there shook there heads and pulled the mother back from her daughter, me biting my lip to keep from hissing.
"One last question," I started before they went to leave. I was absolutely sure Mother would set up a barrier to see if I left my room, warding off teleportation as well. Why do I teach them these things? Before me, no one in this era knew how to block teleporters. Do I love them so much that I make things much harder for me? Is that even a question? "Actually, two. And a warning."
"What is it?" Mother asked while her voice dropped a tone, warning me back.
I gulped and snuggled back under my covers, asking from the safety of cotton.
"How many days has it been?"
"A week."
I froze and my head turned their way again, looking at them with the third eye.
I resisted the urge to ask, "What?" since that would be my second question.
"Okay...second question. Can someone grab my pendant and give it to me?" I didn't feel it around my neck, nor "see" it anywhere in my room, so I had to assume someone else had it.
"What for?"
"Entertainment," I started. Suspicion stunk up the room, so I admitted, "Among other things."
"What other things?"
"Getting potions out."
"...and your warning?"
"I'm going to sleep for the next few days to recover my mana, don't be disturbed if you can't wake me up."
"Is that all?"
"Yep!"
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because I'm your daughter?"
"That's not the way it works," Mother reminded me. "And you know what I mean."
"Because my mana levels are desperately low right now and I need to recover it?"
Mother saw the wisdom in those words, then nodded. "Okay, I will fulfill your request."
Then, they all left. I sighed in relief, waiting for someone to bring me my pendant.
When it was brought, Mother just watched me with cautious eyes to see if I took anything out that I wasn't supposed to.
She was so surprised when I started popping mana potions like crazy, drinking one after the other until the whole supply was gone. She was gaping, but quickly stopped when she remembered the ridiculous amount of mana I had expended on the day the Demon was summoned.
She seemed, by her aura, like she wanted to ask me about it. However, I was in no position to answer since I had done what I needed. I had restored, with about twenty strong potions, fifty mediums, and seventy-seven small ones, a little less than half of my mana pool.
"I guess I'll have to make more for reserve later," I sighed.
"Ridiculous..." Mother muttered. There wasn't a single trace of the mana bottles since they disappear after you drink them, but having seen me empty 147 potions in thirty minutes had been something you couldn't forget.
"Thank you, Mother," I smiled after dabbing at my mouth with the edge of my sleeve. I was a noble's daughter, after all.
"Sure..." She stumbled out the door in a daze.
After that, I dove into my soul after setting up tons of mental barriers, and lay on my bed in the Japanese house.
I set my alarm clock for 72 hours, outside time, then left the rest up to Takuya and Kaya.
"Good night," I smiled as I snuggled under my covers again. From there, I faded away again into sleep.