81 - Did She forget?

"Mother!"

She jolted out of bed. Dazed, she touched her throbbing head and looked around. It was her room she shared with Poppy. She looked out the window and saw it was day. Poppy must've gone out to the store. Annie touched her chest. "Vivi?"

"Yes?"

Annie closed her eyes in relief. "You're back. Are you still mad at me?"

There was silence. When she thought Vivi was still angry at her, Vivi responded. "No, I'm not mad at you. I am always with you."

Annie sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry for last time. Can you come out?" She waited for her response.

"I can't. That boy is in the house."

Annie frowned in confusion. Boy? She tried to think back. The two boys, Kieran and Aster, must be the ones. Which one? What had happened?

"It was the dark one. He carried you here. The other was the one who informed Poppy."

Annie noticed Vivi's voice was smaller and faint. "Did I... get sick? How long was I sleeping?"

There was silence again. Finally... "You've been sleeping for three days. You're healed fully but... your mental state is not. Your mental state reverted your body somehow to the concussion you had before. I had to use my remaining powers to heal as much as possible. It was difficult."

There was a pause before Vivi tried to explain again. "No injuries... Your body kept saying there was. I had to keep sending a signal saying you were okay. I'm too tired now, Anemone. I've been sustaining myself on your mana but it's too small. You must... "

Gold berries. Annie remembered what Vivi had said. The door to the room opened. She turned to see Kieran. His vivid blue eyes stared at her weirdly. "You're... awake," he stated.

She stared down at her hands. "Yes... What happened?" she asked. Her voice sounded tired. Kieran walked close to her. His hand touched her forehead. Surprised, she turned to look up at him. His gaze bore down at her, seeming to look in her mind. Annie pulled away, uncomfortable.

"You don't seem to have a fever anymore," he commented. She noticed his hands were covered with white gloves when he pulled away. It was normal for nobles to wear gloves. Annie always saw them wear it. Some merchants wear them too. When they handled their merchandise, they wanted their hands clean.

"Who..." She paused and licked her dry lips. "Who are you?" she asked. He stared at her for a moment.

"You don't remember me?"

"I know your name," she replied hastily. "But I don't know your role. Are you a merchant like Aster? Or are you a noble?" He straightened his posture.

"It doesn't matter who I am. All you need to know is my name. If you're this frail, we might not need you for our case," he said roughly. "I'll go get you some water."

She watched him leave. When she was sure he was gone, she touched her chest again. "Vivi?" There was no response. Annie became afraid. During the years she stayed with Poppy's family, they were always healthy and stayed out of trouble. She'll need to heal someone soon.