I sleeped for three days

I woke up with a start, my body drenched in sweat. My head felt heavy, as if it had been stuffed with cotton, and my throat was dry like I hadn't spoken in days. I blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

The familiar room came into focus the soft, plush blankets, the elegant furniture, the large windows that let in the afternoon sun. 

I was back in my room.

My heart was still pounding from the dream, or whatever that dark, eerie place had been. The dragon's words echoed in my mind, cold and harsh: "You are weak. You will be consumed by the fire. " But as I looked around, I noticed something even more startling. 

My parents were there.

My mother was sitting beside me, her face pale, her eyes red and puffy from crying. My father stood by the window, his usual composed demeanor cracked, his hands fidgeting nervously. 

"Ren!" My mother's voice was soft but filled with emotion. The moment I made eye contact with her, tears welled up in her eyes again. She reached out and gently stroked my cheek, her touch warm and comforting, though trembling.

"Mom?" My voice came out as a rasp, barely a whisper. 

At the sound of my voice, my father turned around abruptly. His usual stern expression melted into one of relief, though he still looked shaken.

"Oh, thank the gods," he muttered, stepping closer to the bed. He placed a hand on my forehead, checking for something I wasn't sure what. His hand felt cold against my feverish skin. 

"You've been asleep for three days, Ren," my mother said, her voice cracking with emotion. "We were so worried. We thought…" Her words trailed off as her lips quivered, and she quickly looked away, wiping at her tears.

"For three days?" I blinked, my head still foggy. My body felt weak, like I hadn't moved in forever. "What happened?"

My father sighed deeply. "You had a fever. A high fever. After that… incident with your magic, you collapsed. We couldn't wake you. Your body was burning up, and we didn't know if you'd pull through."

"We thought we might lose you," my mother added, her voice barely above a whisper. 

I stared at them, their fear and worry so raw that it almost felt out of place. I wasn't used to seeing them like this vulnerable.

My mother, who was always so strong and composed, was reduced to a teary mess, and my father, who never showed much emotion, looked like he had aged years in just a few days.

They were scared. Really scared. 

And something about that was… almost funny. Here they were, the two most powerful people I knew, reduced to crying over me like I was a fragile flower. I couldn't help it despite the seriousness of the situation, a small, tired smile crept onto my face. 

"You… you guys are crying over me?" I asked, my voice still hoarse but filled with a weak chuckle. Well in my last life my parents really didn't care about me and even when I was injured they just acted like I didn't exist 

"It's just a fever." I said.

My mother let out a soft laugh through her tears, shaking her head. "Only you would joke about something like this," she said, her hand still gently stroking my hair. "You have no idea how worried we were."

My father, too, cracked a smile, though his eyes were still clouded with concern. "You're not invincible, Ren. We're just relieved you're okay."

I felt a pang of guilt as I saw the toll it had taken on them. I hadn't meant to cause them so much distress. I reached out weakly, and my mother took my hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you."

They both shook their heads quickly, as if to brush off my apology. My father cleared his throat and stepped back, his usual composure returning. "What's important is that you're awake now. You're going to be fine."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Galen stepped into the room. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by a look of genuine concern. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his brow furrowed as he looked at me.

"Well, look who decided to wake up," Galen said, though his voice was softer than usual. "You gave us quite the scare, little sister."

"Galen," I muttered, trying to push myself up into a sitting position. My arms wobbled, but my mother quickly helped me, propping me up against the pillows. 

Galen walked over to the side of the bed, and for a moment, I thought he might actually hug me. But instead, he just stood there, looking awkward. "You really don't do anything halfway, do you?" he said with a small smile. 

"Guess not," I replied, managing a weak laugh. "But… I'm okay now."

There was a brief silence, the room filled with a strange mix of relief and exhaustion. I could tell everyone had been through a lot in the past few days probably more than I realized. 

Then, as if to break the tension, my mother stood up. "You must be starving," she said, her voice taking on a more practical tone. "We'll bring you some food. You need to regain your strength."

At the mention of food, my stomach growled loudly, and Galen raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Yeah, I'd say you're definitely hungry."

I couldn't argue with that. I hadn't eaten in days, and the thought of food made me realize just how empty I felt. 

Within minutes, the servants had brought in trays of food more than I could possibly eat in one sitting, but it all looked delicious. There were steaming bowls of soup, fresh bread, fruits, and meats. It was like a feast. 

My parents sat with me as I slowly began to eat, and even Galen stayed, leaning against the wall, watching with a faint smile on his face.

The atmosphere was warm and comforting, a stark contrast to the tense and fearful one I'd woken up to. It felt… nice. 

As I took a few bites of bread, something occurred to me something I'd been thinking about before all of this had happened. 

I cleared my throat, glancing up at my parents. "Mom… Dad… I've been thinking."

They both looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"I… I want to learn how to read," I said, my voice steady. "And… I want a magic teacher. I need to learn how to control this. I can't keep doing this blindly."

My mother and father exchanged a glance, and I could see the hesitation in their eyes. They were still worried about my magic, about the danger it posed. But after a moment, my father nodded slowly.

"Yes," he said, his voice firm. "It's time. You need proper training, both in magic and in your studies."

My mother nodded as well, though she looked at me with a soft, concerned smile. "We'll find you the best teachers," she said. "You won't have to do this alone."

A wave of relief washed over me, and I couldn't help but smile. This was what I needed guidance, control. I wouldn't be stumbling through this blind anymore.

"Thank you," I whispered, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. 

As I sat there, surrounded by my family, I realized that despite everything despite the fear, the uncertainty I was going to be okay.

I had people who cared about me, who would help me. And with their support, maybe, just maybe, I could figure out this whole magic thing.

For now, though, I just wanted to rest, to enjoy this moment of peace.

And maybe eat just a little more bread.