Serene’s POV

Zeph took me to the common room and helped me settle down. He had asked Ralph and Ayrden to meet us there and bring some food. I could feel my body returning to its original self, the energy I had replenished was being restored.

The fact that Kilamin was awake, comforted me.

"You alright?" Zeph asked me for the millionth time. This made me smile, the way he cared about me.

"I am, just a bit exhausted." I was sitting with my head resting on the sofa.

The door opened and Ralph and Ayrden entered with food. "We brought all the food in the world," Ralph declared, triumphantly flexing his muscles. This made me laugh.

Ayrden came and sat beside me, placing the vegetable soup in front of me. "Can you eat? Or I can feed you." She asked with affection dripping from every word.

"I will eat myself. Thank you, guys. You people are the bestest friends one can dream of." I gave them a small smile and picked up the soup bowl and began eating.

Zeph came and sat beside me, he had been pacing the room before. Once I was done with the soup he gave me a plate filled to the brim with rice.

"Zeph, this is too much. I can’t eat it all. I just had soup." I protested, pointing to the quantity of rice on the plate.

"Serene, finish them or I will feed you myself." He glared at me, making me pout. Ayrden and Ralph chuckled.

"Ok, ok, no need to act so mean." I picked up the plate and began to eat.

We spent a few hours there, we chatted, and Ralph told silly jokes to make us laugh. Shumal and Lavaria Sensei came to check up on me and I was finally permitted to see Kilamin again.

Zeph accompanied me but he told me he will wait outside the Infirmary so I could talk to him alone.

Entering the Infirmary I found Kilamin sitting alone on the bed. He was wearing his usual serious expression. I offered him a smile as I drew closer and sat down beside him. I inquired:

"How are you feeling?"

"Annoyed,"He said and I raised my eyebrow at him before replying:

"Same old Kilamin, not even my arrow can fix you." I smiled at him again and he weekly smiled back. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"You shouldn’t have risked your life for me, Serene. You know better than that."

"Risked my life? What are you talking about? I was the one who put your life in danger in the first place. I would never forgive myself if something was to happen to you. Which technically did, I had to save you." My voice came out shaky, why he never had any regard for his own life?

"Firstly, that was not your fault that a new power resurfaced like that, secondly your life is more important than mine, I want you to promise me you will never risk it again, especially for me." He spoke to me in a soft tone, his ever-cold eyes were warm in that instant.

"I will not make any such promises." My reply made him sigh before speaking again:

"You enjoy making everything so tough for me, don’t you?"

"Yes, I am just glad you are alright. No way I am ready to lose you." I placed my hand on his arm, letting him know I cared about him and he patted my hand.

"Just no more healing arrows, not now, not ever. And we will halt training until we have someone who can help us control your new power. Understood?" And he was back to ordering me around.

"Yes, Sensei!" I dragged both words which made him smile a little.

"I was so afraid that I had lost you today. I apologise for hurting you." I was feeling emotional again.

"It was not your fault and you didn’t do anything on purpose. I don’t blame you. So throw away this guilt." It was easier said than done, the guilt had ridden me now and I was afraid of my new power. How was I going to control it? What if I hurt someone else with it?

"I hear you saved another life." His words dragged me out of my chain of thoughts.

"Ahh! Yes, that was an experimental approach but it survived and is such a gorgeous creature. I am sure Mariela Sensei has released it in the forest by now." The thought of that creature filled me with warmth.

"I don’t want you to make this a habit. This is the first and last time you have used that arrow, or I would confiscate your bow." He held up my silver bow which I had left behind.

"Alright, alright." I raised my hands to show I had given up.

"Serene, let him rest now. He needs more sleep and medicine, so he can recover properly. There might still be some undetected internal injuries." I saw Mariela Sensei coming towards us with a tray full of food and vials. She held an annoyed expression.

"Let her stay Mariela," Kilamin requested her in a soft tone, he never uses soft tones.

"No, sorry. Can’t do that. You have to rest." She was adamant.

"It’s alright, I promise I will come by whenever Mariela Sensei will permit me. Take care of yourself." I got up and took my leave.

Zeph was waiting for me outside. He smiled as I emerged from the infirmary and I smiled back at him. I needed fresh air. "Can we go to the grounds?" I asked linking my arm with his.

"Sure, why not?"

Reaching the ground we sat down on the grass and tried to relax. Night had fallen and the light of the two moons sprinkled over us as we sat under the open skies. We sat relaxed, the ambiance was quiet and peaceful.

’Grrrrrr,’ suddenly the silence around us was broken by an animalistic sound and I jerked my head around to see where it came from.