Chapter 11: The Easy Astral Meditation

"Don't ask the reason why because I know you're a fast driver and two to four hours of driving back and forth won't be hard for you to take." Slavica added as she noticed the defeated sigh escape from Tracker's mouth. He really wanted to be with his mate that badly but he suddenly received a heavy punch to his gut from his mate. Yui might be a small lady and has a tiny body but she could really hit like a muscle man.

"Go." Slavica dismissed Irina and Tacker who politely saluted which they rarely do unless they felt like doing it.

"Yui, go and get your laptop. Be sure to be back here in an hour. We're going to find more." Slavica lastly instructed Yui on what she has to do.

"Noted." Yui agreed and left the room as well.

When Gwen and Slavica were once again being left alone in Gwen's hospital room, Slavica quickly carried Gwen back to her bed in a bridal style which Gwen was about to complain yet she was too late to do so. She just let Slavica take her back to bed since she couldn't form any words to say. Plus, she felt some tardiness started to radiate throughout her body which indicates that she needed more rest.

"Take off that mask will you." Gwen didn't ask Slavica when she said those words. She commanded her instead which didn't slip from Slavica's sensitive hearing.

"Sorry, habit." Slavica smiled but she still removed her mask since it was requested by Gwen.

"Lose it whenever you're with me then," Gwen added as she reached to touch Slavica's scarred face.

She promised that even though they were being alone together, she could take her mask in Gwen's presence. She just felt safe and no discrimination or fake in Gwen's expression or words - they were all sincere and true.

"As you wish." She couldn't help but smile over the caring touch from Gwen which she didn't let anyone touch them. If it was not for Gwen, they might have already run far away if they saw how hideous her scar was.

"So tell me what do you mean I want to find more?" Gwen changed the subject as she let her hand stay over Slavica's hand.

"Regarding that part. We're going to use your memory back then but you need enough rest for it and I will help you through the process. So, don't worry and just rest well." She honestly told Gwen what she really was after which made her a little hesitant. Slavica noticed that and held her hand tightly before pulling it closer to her lips to kiss it.

"I'll be here when we do that." She reassured her that only fueled up some heat that creeping up from Gwen's neck to her cheeks. She really likes – loves it when Slavica was being like this to her even though she knew that they just meet but her heart already belongs to this lady before her.

"D-don't let it hurt me." She stuttered a little which made Slavica giggles and leaned closer to kiss her forehead.

"I won't give it a chance, just rest. I am here when you wake up." She reassured her that really warmed Gwen's heart which no stranger could make feel that way, just her, Slavica.

"You should be." Gwen yawned as her eyes began to flutter and slowly she drifted to her sleep even though she doesn't want to. There was something pulling her back to sleep and letting her body do some more rest to be fully healed.

As Gwen was already fallen into her deepest sleep, Slavica caressed her sleeping face before leaning to kiss her forehead. She carefully watched Gwen's sleeping face and the more she does, she was taken deeply to what lies beyond the changes in Gwen. There was a beautiful scene from the old times where she was there and her beloved queen shared it together. She loves those moments but they quickly lost when her beloved queen died. Yet what lies behind Gwen's soul was a radiant bright light as if there's a sun behind her.

"Bright morning star." Slavica commented over the bright morning glow radiating around Gwen's soul.

Slavica smiled genuinely until something began to flicker and it was a small flame deeply within the bright glow. It might be small and cannot be easily seen but it gave such warmness in the blood.

"Blood?" Slavica wondered as she couldn't understand about that flame but somewhere inside of her already did.

She kept looking around at the flame residing deep inside Gwen's soul and as she kept doing that, the flame began to move. Slavica stepped out from looking deeply at Gwen's soul and she finally saw the culprit who made the whole orphanage burn.

"So it's you…tell me, what you are…" Slavica firmly whispered to the flame that suddenly showed up from Gwen's body.

It was indeed burning up but it didn't burn anything that it touches until the flame took notice of her presence. Slavica was amazed by the flame as if it has its own life and it was living inside Gwen's body but there she also noticed that the flame was not typical flame since it was totally a bloodshot kind of flame.

"Blood Flame." Slavica whispered and the flame went closer to her and stared at her. She just smiled and stretched out her hand which made the flame moved as if it was looking at her hand before wrapping itself around her.

"I won't harm your vessel. I just need to know why you choose her." Slavica reassured the bloody flame around her right hand.

'No need to know why as you already could feel what you've been praying for was already here in front of you. It's a gift from the highest heaven but take it or not, it will be your own choice.'

"Oh my…" she was taken back a little when she heard the flame speak to her with the same tone that her longed-gone queen used to her.

Slavica smiled as she was feeling glad that the flame residing within Gwen has no plan of hurting her or anyone around her. But she knew that she shouldn't play it safe since it was just the start of something new for Gwen and she has to train her bit by bit till they get there. She already could feel Gwen will pull out something inside of her that made both of the glow brighter than anyone they ever knew.

As the bloody flame felt calmness around the partner of her human vessel, it let go of Slavica before completely vanishing in the silence of the hospital room of Gwen. It just went back to Gwen's body. Slavica smiled gladly when she saw it then she put her mask back on which exactly the door opened. Yui came back with the laptop since they were about to search for something but she was not alone. Gwen's doctor, Dr. Jeo Young also came inside to do his job as Gwen's doctor.

"You know this isn't the best place to take your job ongoing." Dr. Jeo Young reminded the two elite forces of the death inspector protocol who was preparing the laptop on the same table that they used earlier.

"I get that right but I couldn't leave Gwen alone." Slavica understood that and gave her an honest answer while she watched Yui operates the laptop to the certain file folder.

"Couldn't or wouldn't which one was it?" the doctor teased but Slavica wasn't offended or taken it seriously yet she still give him her answer.

"Either. So anything progress on Gwen's healing state." She flatly answered as she turned to face the doctor of Gwen which made him shiver.

Dr. Jeo Young went on his job and checked Gwen's healing body as well as her vital signs. He smiled since Gwen was totally recovering really fast than expected. He even estimated her discharge as soon as possible then he turned to Slavica.

"She's fully healed actually. All she needs is guidance on using her awakened abilities which I bet you will perform well." Dr. Jeo informed Gwen's status to Slavica who was emitting such power to make anyone cower just being around her presence. Especially those creatures who knew or already saw what she was capable of doing without any sign of remorse.

"That's why I am here for." Slavica mumbled which didn't escape from Yui's ears since she was close to her.

"Is that all?" Yui wondered in her cheerful tone which made Slavica ruffle her hair lightly.

"No." she answered before she turned to Gwen's bed and held her hand.

"Alright. I'll leave you two now. She could be released tomorrow if she likes." He smiled and reminded Slavica about Gwen's discharge then left the room.

Anyway, as Gwen's doctor left the room, through the laptop and the geeky side of Yui, she began searching for the hired assassin. She could do that through the connections of similar cases that they had and some police reports as well. As for Slavica, she was watching the aura of Gwen just in case she will have another nightmare that could cause a great deal of flame but there was none. Then Gwen started to stir and her eyes fluttered to open.

"Finally you're awake. Feel better?" Slavica genuinely asked on how Gwen's sleep takes her.

"Yeah, even in a short period of rest, I didn't have any nightmares." Gwen answered honestly while smiling really grateful at Slavica's caring side.

"That's good to hear. Here's your water and tell me when you're ready to read your memories." She handed her a glass of water before she went to Yui to check her progress.

As for Gwen getting herself relaxed after waking up, Slavica and Yui went on checking the connections of each unsolved crime that they received recently to some police departments around town. Being busy on their spot, they didn't notice that Gwen get up from her bed and check on what they were doing over the laptop.

"Wow, we have the same assassin. It's indeed skilled as it didn't leave any mark that came from her aside from how the way she killed her prey." Gwen quickly noticed the same way the victim was being killed and Yui couldn't believe that it slipped from her eyes. Slavica was feeling proud about it.

"Are you ready to check your memories?" Slavica turned her full attention to Gwen and asked her. She knew that Gwen needed training.

Gwen glanced over at Yui but she was totally preoccupied with her search and Slavica chuckled slightly and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't worry about Yui, it's always been her job and she was great at doing them. So leave her be for now." Slavica reassured Gwen that Yui can do her assigned task. Gwen nodded and went with her back to the bed.

"Don't leave me alone while I'm doing it." Gwen was totally shy but she really need help from her who she trusted the most.

"I won't, no matter what." Slavica smiled as she assist Gwen to her bed so she could comfortably mediate there when Yui almost squealed but instead she teased them.

"Sweet. Can you two be a couple already?" Yui teased them but Gwen quickly reacted.

"That's too soon, don't you think?" Gwen reacted which Yui likes to see since Gwen was already feeling hot as it was already visible on her cheeks.

"Neh, even though you're already a couple, you will still go on the process of getting to know each other even more." Yui explained her point why she suddenly suggested it to both of them.

"Still too soon." Gwen whined but she likes the idea as it showed to her face.

"Yui, let it go." Slavica cut their conversation since it was drifting to what they should be doing at the moment.

"Right, boss." Yui dismissed the conversation and went back to her work on the laptop. She even took Gwen's analysis regarding the pattern of the wounds that were being left by its killer.

As Gwen went into her relaxing mode, she began on focusing what need to be done and that was reading her hidden memories from the past. It might be her first time meditating than she usually does since she was awakening into something only at night exist.

After just a few minutes of settling on the bed and Yui being busy with her job, Slavica prepared some water for Gwen just in case she'll ever need them and nodded encouragingly at her. She even grabbed Gwen's hand and carefully soothe them.

"Ready?" Slavica carefully asked Gwen who just gave a nod at her.

"Alright, since you're ready and comfortable already, relax your entire body now." She continued as she comfortably took a seat beside Gwen and began instructing her.

"Then close your eyes. Clear your mind and don't let anything bother you. Ignore the noises that you could hear and breathe. Take three deep breaths and slowly release them." with Slavica's calming voice, Gwen followed the instruction without hesitation. She really trusted Slavica's guidance to what was happening to her – more on her the power that she suddenly possessed.

"Once you notice some small light, let it come to you and tell me what you can see, feel, or hear. I'm with you." she kept guiding Gwen to opening her clairvoyance to see what lies so hidden in her memories.

As for Gwen, she kept going and following the instruction that Slavica was whispering to her until her view from darkness turned into the light where she could see her hospital room. Gwen easily managed to activate her astral projection and saw Slavica beside her. She smiled at how Slavica held her dearly while Yui was totally occupied with her laptop. But suddenly something changed in her view as if she was being taken into some place cold and nighttime.

"Where am I?" Gwen thought to herself as she wasn't sure where she was being taken to.