I’m your agent

The room had fallen into a heavy, breathless silence.

After the system's voice had faded bright, digital, and inescapably cheerful Serenya remained motionless for a long while. Her back was still pressed to the cool wall, her fingers absently brushing the pheromone suppressant patch at the base of her neck as if touching it would somehow wake her from all this.

But it didn't.

There were no dramatic revelations. No magical reversal. No kind voice whispering that everything would be okay. Only the low hum of unseen machinery, the whisper-soft shifting of light across her futuristic hospital room, and the distant ache in her chest that had nothing to do with her body and everything to do with what she'd left behind.

Her real life , her family , her friends ,and Asher Nyx.

The thought of him hit her like a punch to the gut. Not because he had caused this of course not but because she had been so close. She had waited years for the chance to speak to him, to see him up close, to maybe even for a second exist in his orbit.

And now she was here. In a body that didn't feel like hers. In a world she didn't understand.

The door slid open with its usual soft hiss.

Serenya didn't look up.

"Miss Asvelle?" came the gentle voice of the nurse from before. "I've brought the attending physician with me."

The woman stepped into the room with her same fluid grace, the light of her uniform's glowing threads dimmer than earlier, as if in deference to Serenya's visible state. Behind her came another woman, slightly older, dressed in a darker blue variant of the uniform. Her coat shimmered at the edges with gold insignia, and a long medical tablet floated just over her left shoulder like a trained assistant.

The doctor was tall, elegant, and imposing in that effortless way only professionals seemed to master. Her black hair was pulled into a tight, high bun, and her dark copper skin glowed under the soft lights. Her eyes were sharp, golden-brown, and assessing.

"I'm Doctor Velin Saera," she said, her voice calm and crisp but not unkind. "I'm overseeing your case. Mind if we check your vitals again?"

Serenya shook her head wordlessly.

The nurse whose name tag now read "Nira" smiled and moved to her side, gently guiding her to sit up straighter on the bed. Her touch was warm and efficient. The doctor placed her hand against a hidden panel in the wall, and the floating medical tablet scanned Serenya's body with a light pulse of white-blue energy.

"All readings look stable," Dr. Saera said after a moment. "The cranial injury you sustained was minor. A superficial contusion and a hairline fracture at the base of the skull. You're lucky it wasn't worse."

"I don't feel lucky," Serenya mumbled.

Nira chuckled softly. "Well, sometimes luck hides in ugly packages, sweetheart."

Dr. Saera's lips twitched faintly. "We'll monitor you for another two days, just to be sure. But if nothing unusual appears, you'll be discharged at the end of the cycle."

"Cycle?" Serenya echoed.

"Standard 48-hour increments in Asterhelm," the doctor clarified. "You're almost at the end of the first one."

Serenya nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "And… the memory?"

Dr. Saera gave a thoughtful hum. "Retrograde amnesia following cranial trauma is not uncommon. You may regain fragments over time perhaps through environmental familiarity, sensory triggers, or emotional stimuli."

"…So you're saying I might not remember anything?"

"It's possible," the doctor admitted, not unkindly. "But not guaranteed. Don't rush it. Your mind will recover in its own time."

That was a mercy. If she told them the truth that she was Serenya Vale from a different world entirely they'd probably sedate her or worse.

Better to play the amnesia card and survive long enough to understand this place.

"Thank you," she murmured, voice quieter than before.

The nurse, Nira, stepped closer again and crouched slightly to meet her eyes. "Hey, you're doing great, Liora. Really. Most people in your position would be screaming or throwing something."

Serenya gave a weak laugh. "That's… comforting."

Nira grinned. "Want to hear the worst joke I've told today?"

"Not really."

"Too bad. What do you call a Beta who can't dance?"

Serenya blinked. "I don't know."

Nira beamed. "A Beta-blocker."

A pause.

Serenya stared.

Nira wiggled her eyebrows, clearly proud of herself.

Against all odds, a small smile tugged at Serenya's mouth. It wasn't much, and it hurt a little to lift her cheeks, but it was real.

Dr. Saera shook her head with fond exasperation. "I told you to stop using pharmacological humor on patients."

"I live for the groans, Doc."

Before anyone could reply, the door slammed open with a violent whoosh.

Serenya flinched violently, instinctively pulling her blanket tighter.

A woman stood in the doorway, gasping, eyes wide and brimming with tears. She was average in height but striking, with short caramel hair styled in sharp waves and a fitted black jumpsuit that clung to her athletic frame. Her eyes deep hazel flecked with gold were red from crying, and her makeup was slightly smudged. She looked like she had run a marathon through an emotional war zone.

"Liora!" she choked, stumbling into the room.

Serenya barely had time to react before the woman threw her arms around her in a crushing hug. Her perfume was citrusy, warm, and familiar in a way that wasn't hers but belonged to the body she now occupied.

"Thank the stars, you're okay," the woman whispered against her shoulder, voice shaking. "I was so scared I thought I was going to lose you—"

Serenya's body locked up. She didn't move. Didn't breathe.

She didn't know this woman.

Not even slightly.

Dr. Saera stepped forward gently. "Ma'am please she's still recovering."

The woman pulled back just slightly, hands still on Serenya's shoulders. "You don't… remember me?"

Serenya stared at her helplessly.

"I— I'm sorry," she said, voice trembling, "I don't. I— they said I hit my head, and everything is blurry, and—"

"She's experiencing amnesia," Dr. Saera interrupted calmly. "Please don't panic. Her vitals are stable, and with rest, there's a strong chance the memories may return."

The woman covered her mouth with one hand, tears streaming down her cheeks now.

"She's been through too much," she whispered. "Liora… you always push yourself too hard."

Serenya's heart clenched.

"I'm sorry," she said again, quietly, not sure who she was apologizing to anymore.

The woman wiped her face quickly, trying to gather herself. "It's okay. It's okay. You're alive. That's all that matters." She reached out and gently took Serenya's hand. "I'm Kessia. I'm your agent."

Agent?

Serenya blinked.

"I'm a Beta," Kessia added, with a faint smile. "Though I act like a stressed Alpha most days."

It was meant to be a joke. Serenya smiled faintly.

"I got you a week off," Kessia continued, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I had to threaten the scheduler and cry in front of the admin, but it worked. No gigs. No stress. Just rest. We'll figure everything out together when you're ready."

"…Thank you."

Kessia pulled her into another hug. It was gentler this time, comforting.

"You always try to carry everything yourself," she whispered. "But not this time, okay? You rest. I'll handle the world."

Serenya didn't know how to respond, so she just let herself be held.

Then came the nurse's voice again.

"Well, that's enough tear-jerking tragedy for one hour," Nira declared cheerfully. "It's time for our little starlet to eat before she passes out from emotional exhaustion."

Kessia laughed wetly and stood. "I'll come back tomorrow."

She gave Serenya one last look fond, broken, hopeful and then left the room.

Serenya sat in stunned silence as the nurse brought over a tray.

She stared at it blankly.