Chapter 3

Last night really brought Saranie down a notch. She was fully aware of what just happened. Even the whole time she had a faint idea, but her mind made a mistake. A mind that wished to sleep and a body that needed to keep moving to stay alive.

Her breakfast meal came with two chocolate milks. More of a wonderful drink didn't keep Saranie down for too long. Today she felt a lot more awake than the previous day.

"What are you doing, Saranie?"

Lady Hiberacy had come back today. Since her 'case' was unique, she would have someone with her constantly today.

"Let's just say Jahvee wasn't doing herself any favors by taking it easy." Her morning exercises gave her a clear mind. It allowed her to prepare and focus for any battle ahead.

---

It was tough doing her morning run as she needed to run in circles in a short hallway. Though when Saranie stated that she wished to know the distance Lady Hiberacy showed her a 'smartphone'. Saranie had saved her questions for later and just watched her put a timer on it. As Jahvee's body was still recovering she couldn't do this for too long or nurses would need to step in.

Once she was done Saranie asked about the smartphone. Fifteen minutes seemed way too short. It was like a quarter of a bell.

"Are you sure your artifact is working? That wasn't even long enough to warm up." Which was partially false. For Jahvee's body, it was a full workout, but Saranie wanted to go longer and further.

"I'm sorry Saranie, but you should rest."

"I get it. You mentioned that your smartphone has a map on it? Could I see it?"

"You will have to ask Doctor Wraimes. Let's get you cleaned up so you can make your appointment."

---

"I have a map here of the world."

"Really? The whole world?" If they had that, then she would know where her home was.

Doctor Wraimes moved the 'monitor' around so Saranie could see it. At first it showed a city, Souvetanse. That was where they were located. Going further out he showed borders of a state, then a continent, and then the whole world. He was slowly spinning it around so Saranie could get the whole thing.

"What do you think?"

"I won't even ask how. If that isn't magic then whatever it is will go over my head. But where is the rest of it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I traveled around a lot. I have been to many places and those places weren't on this 'map' of yours."

"What do you think that means?"

At first Saranie had him 'look closer' at different land masses. There were some that were close to what she knew about the maps she had seen and where she had been. Nothing stuck out. Nothing was right. It was all wrong. If he wasn't lying…

"Is this the only 'map' you have?"

"Yes."

"I'm from another world?" Really she left it as a question. She wanted to know what Doctor Wraimes made of it.

"No, I wouldn't say that. I believe Jahvee's mind suffered under a lot of stress. You seem to take care of yourself, making you more independent. The opposite of Jahvee. As some protected measure for something her mind couldn't handle. Saranie you are from this world."

"What, does that make me some throw away shield?"

"No, not at all. Think of night and day. Currently Jahvee is sleeping, while you are awake. In control to help her along. Maybe you can wake her up when she is ready."

"Then what happens to me. I just die?"

"No. People with your condition can live and work together with their 'alter selves'. For you that is Jahvee." He stopped 'typing' his notes and turned towards her. "Saranie, what do you want? What is your goal?"

"Let me start with that. I don't think like that. I know what I know and what happened to me. This isn't my world and I don't think this woman created me. My life is not something Jahvee created in her mind." She made hand gestures towards her body. Then took a deep breath. "My goal though? It was to get back home. Now… I don't really know."

"The orphanage?"

"Yes. The caretakers took care of the children. It was my time to pay their efforts forward. After all I have been through I deserve to protect those kids. But there is no way for me to get back now."

"If it gets too much, tell someone here."

---

Saranie was aware they were giving her medication to keep her lethargic. The doctor had told her that as he ended the session there. But that wasn't the only thing he mentioned.

Today was the day Jahvee's brother would be coming. Erythann had the right to her life essentially. To keep Jahvee from making any more future mistakes a court deemed him responsible for her. All Wraimes mentioned was that he and Jahvee were close and were aware that Saranie now existed.

It was going to be a crazy day.

---

"Lady- Should I call you Lady Hiberacy then? Do you do that here?"

"No, please don't. I'm not…" Hiberacy was making sure she said the right word. "Royalty. Just your normal person."

"So what do people do for fun around here, Hiberacy?"

"Doctor Wraimes said that we would have to wait and see after today, but if everything goes well tomorrow we could watch some tv."

"So what is that all about. I saw it before, but it moves." She had a confused look so Saranie explained. "Like a painting and the pictures move really fast. Or am I mistaken?" Now that Saranie thought about it, there may be things wrong with her mind. Even if she disregarded Doctor Wraimes' claims that she was an alter, the fact she was in the body of another woman could lead to consequences.

"Oh, yes. That is basically what it is. There are some wonderful shows that you can watch and I think there is one you might like. There's magic in it."

"I know you said that you had magic in your stories, but these 'shows' too?"

"Yes. For today I got permission from Doctor Wraimes to let you draw."

"Isn't that expensive? No, of course not. Alright I would love to give it a go."

Different world, different rules.

---

Another nurse had to be in the room. Just in case because they still weren't sure about Saranie just yet. It had only been a single day, so there was nothing to worry about.

There was a box of 'markers'. A rainbow of colors… a shiver went down her spine at the thought of that portal.

"Everything alright, Saranie?"

"It's nothing really. So how do I do this?"

"Just draw whatever you want. It can be anything."

The white floor tiles were cold on the ground. It offered her a lot of area to draw as Hiberacy suggested. They even brought in another blanket to keep her warm. They really did have everything here.

One of the nurses stood outside at the door while she would be drawing. Hiberacy would be on the floor drawing with her.

Saranie grabbed a pink looking marker. It was bright and stood out. It felt like that plastic from before. The shine felt fake and the color so unnatural. The words on it were of the color. 'If you didn't know, now you do.' Touching the paper with it, she tried making a like, but nothing happened.

"You have to take off the cap, like this." Hiberacy took off the cap to her green marker and drew on the paper. Which the paper was thin and mass produced. Each one was exactly like the last.

Using her marker, she made a wiggly line. There were only a handful of times where she had ever written anything. It was mainly battle placements.

"This is surreal."

"Really?"

"I had- where I'm from something like this was reserved for the rich. Sure all they had was black ink and parchment, none of these colors, but it was rare to use any. I only had a few opportunities myself."

"When was that?"

"After a scouting mission. I would draw on the map enemy placements."

"Oh."

---

It was a failed attempt from a real painter. It came out… childish. Actually Saranie found it difficult to hold a marker in a comfortable position even after looking at Hiberacy. That was her first time and Hiberacy had more time to figure it out herself.

Her picture was of the orphanage and garden. Using all the colors she could find she had mixed them together with a lot of green for the garden. Using brown, black and grey to create the image of the building.

"That's your home?"

"Sorry, I'm not a painter."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Nothing to be sorry about. I had just never seen anything like it."

"Never saw a recruit draw before?" Saranie smirked as she replaced the word 'draw' for 'fight'. It had a funnier story in her mind behind it.

"I have seen many different drawings. I've lived in the city all my life that I hadn't been out to the countryside to see that much green."

"Maybe one day I might be like the person who drew your face."

"You mean this? They took a picture of me then printed it on this badge."

More new words…

---

"Apple juice?" She had apples before and it tasted like this if not unnaturally sweet.

"Do you like it?" Asking like she really wanted to know.

"I do, did you make it?"

"Oh, no. It's made in some factory far away and then shipped here."

"I'll just ignore that. Also why do you people put everything in plastic?"

"To preserve it so it can travel over long distances."

"Well it's better than salted meat." Saranie just shrugged. "I could easily go my whole life without eating that stuff again. Where do you get the money for all of this stuff, or do you people not use money here?" Some places trade their goods. It was a fact of life. This also just happened to be another world.

"From insurance companies. It would be your brother's insurance I think."

"Well I'll have to thank 'Jahvee's brother' when he arrives."

"I'm sorry about that Saranie."

"No, it's fine. I was trying to be subtle, but it came off stronger than I thought." Then Saranie looked around. "I think that medication is starting." She yawned.

'What's an insurance company?'

---

Saranie was awoken by Hiberacy. She was still tired and moved slowly. Once she sat up, Hiberacy said that she would be just outside and to call if she needed anything.

She was told that he would be visiting her room.

"Jahvee?" The man that entered looked really similar to Saranie, or to Jahvee. The eyes were the same brown ones as her. His sandy colored hair was down in a ponytail to his shoulders. His beard easily covered his neck going quite far. He had two white shirts on, the one underneath just seemed of a lesser quality than the one Wraimes wore yesterday and the one on top of that had buttons all the way down the shirt like it had been cut in half. His pants were a dark sea blue. The material was thick and he had a leather belt holding it up. He was in some stained looking socks as she was told that he wouldn't have shoes. His figure was of someone who worked out. Very fit. Handsome even.

But it was the look in his eyes. She didn't find him attractive at all. There was no way considering the war she had seen and her current situation. That being that she was in the body of his sister. To Saranie, that woman was gone. There was no way she wanted to die to give it back, but did hurt her a little to think of killing an innocent off like that. To Erythann he hoped that Saranie would leave. Because he looked back at the door and Hiberacy just looked at him.

"I'm Saranie. It's nice to meet you." She stood at attention. With a hand over her chest and a bow. Defaulting back to when she had to introduce herself. Knocked into her with six years of war. Of course this was all while sitting down in the bed so it was awkward.

"Ah, yes… Saranie. I'm-I'm Erythann your…" He wasn't crying. His eyes were red, cheeks warming up, but he held it back.

"Jahvee's brother, I heard." Saranie helped him out. Tapped the side of the bed so that he could sit and collect himself.

She could see him looking all over her. Face, legs, torso… her wrists. Pain hit him so hard that she could see him losing more and more hope.

"How are you?" He asked her, but it felt like she should direct that question towards him.

"I'm alright, just tired. How are you feeling? I'm sure this can't be easy for you." He looked at her surprised, looking down with a self deprecating smile. He took some time to think. Looking back at the door, then to Saranie and the floor quite a few times. His hands were shaking. "Tell me about your sister." It might help him. She really hoped it would.

"Ha… well you- she's always been a cry baby." He had a real, genuine, smile on his face now. "My little sister was- is sensitive. Taking everything someone said about her personally. Making it seem like something good was a horrible insult. But she still cared about others. Really tried her best, in her own way, to make others happy. To make me happy. All before herself." He fell silent after that.

"I'm really sorry this happened." It was true. She felt horrible that this woman was sleeping, or worse gone forever, because Saranie was here now. Like ripping a soul out of a body. Using it for war. Maybe this reprieve in Saranie's life was trying to help her cope with the loss of everyone she knew about from the war. This wasn't her body. "Maybe you will believe me or not, that's for you to decide. I don't know what they told you exactly, but I'm not from this world. I know this isn't my body. Even if the eyes are the only things that are different, it's not mine. I know that. If I can and I find a way to bring your sister back, I will. I was meant to die to save everyone, I know that. So I can use what little I have left to save Jahvee's life if I can."

"What… are you planning?" He choked a little as he said that. He got really serious, he was listening now.

"I don't know really. I don't fully understand what that portal did to me or how my lifeforce changed at the end. What I do know is that this isn't my life or world. It's Jahvee's and I will do whatever I can to bring her back to you."

"By killing yourself?" He was enraged, but his voice was still low.

"Maybe? I don't know what will happen to me if Jahvee is still there and takes back her body. I will be gone or I might still be there. Soul magic is nasty stuff. That is my first guess, considering the cultists were involved."

"Don't even think about it!" He stood up and walked out. Saranie could hear him talking… yelling at Hiberacy. "When I brought her here, she was to be kept safe. I was told she was okay and then I heard she cut her wrists. I just spoke to her three days ago and Jahvee said she was tired. Now this? Personality change? She wants to kill herself. If my sister dies, you will all pay. You people will be hearing from my lawyers."

He stormed out and three nurses came into Saranie's room. Hiberacy being one of them.

---

"I heard what happened. Do you want to harm yourself, Saranie?"

"There was a misunderstanding which I told Hiberacy the same thing. I understand Erythann was emotional. It was really tough on him. If I have been in his position I would have been the same way. But I never meant it the way he was thinking. So let me ask you, what happens to me if I go away? Do I die? Sleep forever like Jahvee? I never meant that I would harm this body, her body. I will do whatever I can to bring her back if that means destroying my soul so she can take over. I know nothing about that kind of magic, but I could figure it out in time."

"I see, but you have to understand that kind of talk hurts everyone. Even if Jahvee were to take over, you shouldn't think like that. Your life is just as precious as Jahvee."

"My life? I watched everyone who had been with me die over six years in the war. I fought until the end. I stopped the war. You don't know my life, but ended at the same time I closed that portal. Of course I wish I could go back home to the orphanage. I really do, but this is my reality at the moment. My reality includes me being in the body of a woman who couldn't take the hardships life came with. I know full well that I thought about taking my own life. Thinking how easy it would be to get out of that dreadful war. Thinking if I was ever caught that it would be best to end it before they could do anything to me. I know what it was like, but I never did it. I was still there and I fought with everything I had. That was my life and this is Jahvee's. This is her world, her body. She should have it back. It is her right."

There were multiple times when Saranie had raised her voice and Doctor Wraimes had stopped the nurses from making her fall asleep in her bed right there. He was in her room, sitting in a chair next to her. Not one with wheels, but the one she had sat in while in his office.

He took a long time to speak. Probably trying to get her winded speech all sorted out. She understood and she needed to calm down. The garden helped her with that.

"It's good to see that you are capable of calming yourself down. That shows that you can be trusted to make decisions on your own still. Thank you for keeping yourself in check." He was right, she had held herself back from jumping up, attacking everyone and killing them all. It wasn't like she wanted to do it, not really. What she really wanted to do was to just go outside. To smell the fresh air even if it was cold. To get away into nature.

"I do apologize for getting all emotional. I never really told anyone about that before."

"It's alright and I think you should talk about that more. To get it out there. Rather than seeing it inside, take a look at how it is outside. How others might see it. You were able to do that for Erythann, to see it from his side, you can also do it for yourself." He took a deep breath and then leaned forward towards her. "Right now, I think it is best if you thought about what you said. You will fight for your life and you will do it for Jahvee too. Don't think about it as going away forever or dying. Right now live your life how you want to. I know you believe that you are not from this world, even if I disagree, that doesn't really matter right now. Think about your life and what you want with it. Even if it is something small." He stood up from his chair. "We can talk tomorrow. I see you are tired after today."

Saranie was tired. If she was being honest she didn't want to die either. After all she had done, it didn't feel right. So before he left she spoke to the doctor. "I told Erythann I would do anything to bring back his sister. I will keep my word, but I don't really want to die. If that becomes the only option left, then I will take it. I have so many more things. Things that might take a lifetime to figure out and learn. So in the meantime, I will have to live my life."