Chapter X

I woke up to the sound of soft voices and muffled sobs. As my eyes slowly opened, I saw Isabella, Lila, and Mira. They were crying. I turned my head and saw a few villagers standing nearby. I tried to open my eyes fully, but my eyelids were heavy, and my vision was blurry. My pupils were dilated, probably from the pain and the head injury. I must have been unconscious for a long time. I had no idea how long we had been in the cave, but the rain had stopped.

Isabella was crying and reassuring us, saying that everything would be fine, that she would heal us, and that I could rest and leave everything in their hands. I looked down and saw Zane still on my lap, which reassured me. Our hands were clasped together tightly.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, Isabella placed her hands on my wound. I felt a cool, soothing sensation, and light emanated from her hands. After a while, the pain in my head disappeared completely, and the wound was gone. I felt relieved but still exhausted and somewhat detached. The lower part of my body was numb from having Zane on my lap for so long; he was heavier than I thought.

Two of Zane's friends, Kael and Aiden, gently lifted him off my lap and propped him against the wall. Isabella began to heal his wounds, one by one. There wasn't even a scar left, and his fever subsided.

I watched in a daze as Isabella worked her magic. Each place she touched glowed with a warm light, and the wounds closed up as if they had never been there. Even the massive claw mark on Zane's back disappeared.

Another friend of Zane, Eryndor, gently lifted me onto his back. I watched Isabella continue to heal Zane, marveling at her affinity with light. I gathered my strength and asked, "Where is the Tetrabear? What happened?"

Eryndor carried me out of the cave and pointed to where a few villagers were dismantling the Tetrabear and placing its parts into baskets for transport back to the village. Zane had defeated it.

Seeing this, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I let out a deep sigh and turned to look at Zane. He was already starting to regain consciousness. Seeing him move, knowing he was going to be okay, filled me with a warmth and gratitude I couldn't put into words. I finally felt safe.

As I closed my eyes to rest again, I knew we were out of danger. The villagers had found us, and Zane was going to be fine. I allowed myself to relax completely, drifting back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

With the reassuring presence of the villagers and the knowledge that Zane was safe, I could finally rest.

I woke up to the sensation of someone gently running their hands through my hair, caressing my head softly. As I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar wooden ceiling that had become so comforting over time. I knew I was back in the village, back home, in our room. This realization made me let out a small laugh of relief. I felt so safe.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed Zane sitting beside my bed, watching me with a smile. When I finally saw him, I blushed. His face was marked with relief, and he seemed genuinely happy to see me awake. He laughed and said, "Welcome back."

His smile, with those white, perfectly aligned teeth and slightly full lips, made me happy. "Thank you," I replied softly.

"How are you feeling?" Zane asked, his voice gentle and caring.

"I feel... surprisingly good, actually. A bit tired, but not in pain," I replied, trying to sit up a little.

"Take it easy," Zane said, gently helping me adjust. "You've been through a lot. We both have."