Chapter Nine: When the Body Weeps

The room burst open with the doctor's cry... sharp as a blade slicing through air thick with dread:

" Hold her legs down! Someone, quickly, help me! "

Agony rushed over, pale-faced and trembling as though the cold had seeped into his bones, He hurried to the doctor's side, and together they forced a strip of cloth between Xenia's teeth to keep her from biting her tongue, Agony's heart pounded with raw panic, his mind screaming in silence:

" This is all my fault... She's going to die because of me! "

Long seconds dragged like hours before Xenia's body finally stilled, as if a storm had died without warning.

The doctor exhaled and wiped his damp brow.

" We can't treat her here… Get her to her room, Now "

Edgar obeyed without hesitation, lifting her in his arms as though she were made of glass, His eyes whispered a silent:

" She was so calm these past days… What happened to her? "

He laid her gently on the bed as the doctor leaned in to examine her pallid face,

He peered into her closed eyes, fingers pressing her wrist as though seeking any flicker of life left within that fragile stillness, The air was thick with tension, breath caught in throats.

Agony sat beside her, wiping the cold sweat from her brow.

Callista clutched her hands together, whispering prayers through trembling lips, clinging to hope.

At last, the doctor spoke,

" I'll start with an IV drip, Then we talk "

Time crawled... minutes stretched into eternities, When he finally stepped out of the room with Edgar and Agony, his voice dropped to a measured firmness.

" Has she been under any emotional stress recently? "

Edgar shook his head,

" Nothing unusual... Agony, what happened? "

The boy was crying now, his body trembling, hand pressed over his heart like he was holding it together.

" We were talking... argued a little, and then she just collapsed! "

The doctor nodded slowly.

" Her blood pressure's been dangerously low for days, Likely she wasn't eating properly, feeling dizzy and nauseous... Then today, it spiked – her body went into shock "

Agony's voice trembled with fear.

" Was it... my fault? "

The doctor didn't hesitate,

" Don't blame yourself, son.. Women often carry burdens no one can see, They put more on their shoulders than they should have to, Even without your argument, she would've collapsed... today or tomorrow "

He paused before continuing...

" She may not wake until tomorrow evening, If she does, she'll be disoriented, possibly forgetful, Don't overwhelm her with questions, Keep her food light, and under no circumstances should she be drawn into any arguments for at least a week, If she seizes again, restrain her before calling me "

When calm returned, Agony slipped quietly into his mother's room.

He sat beside her, studying her face. Her features looked small, innocent... time seemed to have forgotten her, He whispered inwardly:

' You look younger up close...

Please wake up. I'll forgive you, I'll call you mother, Just… come back '

Suddenly, Xenia let out a soft groan – barely audible, yet it sliced through the silence like a whisper of life, Her brow furrowed, and cold sweat broke across her forehead like dawn frost on winter grass, Agony rushed to wipe her down with a handkerchief.

The next morning, with the first sliver of light, Xenia opened her eyes slowly, The cracked ceiling of the old cabin greeted her, unfamiliar… or perhaps just distant, Her mind was hazy, weighed down by fragments of memory, She turned her head slightly, spotting Agony and Callista sleeping at her side.

Her head buzzed with memories that weren't hers… or were they? She had seen Xenia's life as if it had been projected onto her own, Disjointed visions—

A girl who looked like her whispering cryptic words,

A boy with her face running beneath a blood moon,

Her own hands… choking herself.

She sighed bitterly...

' Oh my god... how it hurt! That argument with Agony—maybe it wasn't me speaking, but Xenia! Those tears... they fell from my eyes, but maybe they were hers,

I thought I was dying, but maybe… it was just the right moment to fall apart, Even if I did scare the boy half to death '

Agony stirred awake to find his mother staring at him with a faint smile, Shocked, he burst with emotion.

" Mom! You're awake? Are you hurt? You scared me so much! "

Tears streamed quietly down his cheeks.

Callista woke too, gripping Xenia's hand tightly, crying...

Xenia let out a gentle laugh, breath returning to her like warmth after cold...

" I'm all right... "

She pulled them into an embrace, not just to comfort them – but to steady her own heart.

Agony was stiff, unsure how to respond to this tenderness.

Callista, on the other hand, melted into Xenia's arms, terrified of losing her again.

Time passed, slow and heavy, But Xenia didn't move, She had fallen back asleep – peacefully, holding them both.

Agony leaned close, listening to her steady breathing, and whispered to Callista, patting her back:

" Mom's not gonna die… She's going to live, We're gonna be a real family! Don't worry "

—

Days passed...

Xenia remained bed-bound, bored, restless, and surrounded by Agony's anxiety and Callista's watchful care,

Edgar, for his part, feared being labeled a widower, then, reassured of her survival, went right back to his usual debauchery.

Little by little, Xenia began to reclaim her life,

She found bruises on her body without knowing their cause.

She did things she'd never done, She wrote in a language she'd never learned, It became clear: the original Xenia hadn't vanished—she had fused with her, The bruises… were her final cry for help.

Xenia tried to embrace the children as her own, She gave affection without smothering them, read them stories, made them simple sweets.

She began living out an old dream—to be a teacher, a caregiver, a heart that nurtures rather than harms.

When she needed to understand where she was, she played the role of a "spoiled princess" and asked questions playfully.

In time, she learned she lived in the eastern region of the continent Sylvaria, specifically in the city of Lorenval, one of five major provinces.

To the north was Elvaron, cold and home to botanical sciences.

At the center, Caeriewood, the continent's beating heart and capital.

South lay Selynthia, land of agriculture and harvest.

To the west, Valdeir, a bustling trade hub and gateway to a narrow strait separating them from another continent... Ferrosia.

One evening, she turned to Agony with a spark in her eyes...

" Joe, is there a library in Lorenval? "

He nodded...

" Yeah, The public library, Costs ten Ru for twenty-four hours of access "

Xenia paused, then smiled slyly...

' Simple – I'll go disguised as an Aerion... '