“My head… it hurts.”
The burning sensation was right in the middle of my forehead. It was so hot that I bent down on the floor with both hands holding my forehead. I groaned until my throat hurt and I lost the ability to scream anymore. I sensed Pollux’s hand assisting me in moving to the bed.
My whole body was drenched in sweat. I squinted my eyes because the light in Castor’s room was too dazzling. I had the urge to break the lamp because it caused discomfort in my eyes.
I was startled by the sound of something breaking above my head. Pollux shielded my body with his so that the shards wouldn’t hurt me. I was only thinking of smashing the lamp, but instead it had already shattered on its own.
“Are you okay?” Pollux asked by touching my head.
“No. I feel really hot. What’s wrong with me, Alpha?”
“I’ll call Cian. Take it easy. Hold on to me if you can’t take it.”
“How is Godiva? Why is the light off?”
Castor’s voice suddenly rang in my ears. With the moonlight streaming through the bedroom window, I noticed his figure drawing near. I groaned again.
Answering Castor’s question with disjointed sentences, Pollux extended his hand to me. As my hand firmly gripped Pollux’s, Castor called Doctor Cian.
Both of them relayed all the events I had experienced in detail while occasionally looking at me. Castor touched my forehead, then nodded his head. He hangs up the phone and stares silently at Pollux.
Turning his gaze to me, Castor then said, “Your symptoms are exactly the same as when we had our first shift, but that cannot be confirmed yet because Cian has to directly examine you.”
I bent my knees because by now, my bones were aching. My teeth chattered loudly as a stifled moan escaped. I should be experiencing this sensation from the cold, not burning.
I was overwhelmed with frustration. I couldn’t even feel my hands and feet anymore. What else did I have to suffer?
Castor routinely gave me a drink through a straw. It was brought to my attention that Pollux proposed drenching me with water, but Castor declined to act until Doctor Cian came.
Castor reasoned that Doctor Cian was still clinging to my human identity. Pollux swore and shouted loudly. The cracking sound of the wood reached my ears as he forcefully smashed the edge of the bed.
“Calm down, Pol. Cian is on his way.”
“Don’t you feel it? Godiva’s in pain and my heart feels doubly squeezed because I feel it too and I can’t do anything about it.” Pollux gritted his teeth. I could hear it.
“I feel it, Pol. We have to stay calm, for Godiva’s sake too. We can’t get carried away. She needs calm.”
“Somebody, bring some light to this room!” Pollux shouted in his firm voice.
I heard the faint sound of some men’s voices in the distance. The only part of the sentence I heard was compliance with Pollux’s order. I felt a buzz of sound afterwards.
“No, Alpha. My eyes hurt too much to see the light,” I said in a weak voice.
“Did you hear me speak, Luna?” Pollux asked me.
“You were shouting so loudly. My ears hurt to hear it. Argh… how long do I have to be like this?”
I heard the sound of bones cracking in my own body. I lifted my head to endure the pain. For God’s sake, I can’t bear the pain anymore.
Was I going to die? My hope of staying alive was shattered when I heard Doctor Cian’s voice. He injected something sharp into my arm and I started to really not feel anything anymore.
“I injected a high dose of morphine for Luna. I’m going to check her blood. While we wait, you can stay by her side to calm her down, Alpha. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Hang in there. We’ll both keep you company here.” Castor’s words to me sounded soft.
After Doctor Cian injected me, I felt calmer. Right now I could only move my head left and right even though I tried my hardest to do so. I finally gave up and let time pass.
I could still hear the conversation between Castor and Pollux talking about me. All the terms they used sounded very unfamiliar to my ears. They were talking about their world and also about the vampires who came to the wedding.
When I heard the door to the room creak open, I saw Doctor Cian coming in with Bice. They were looking at me with expressions that were hard to interpret. Until Castor and Pollux urged Doctor Cian to explain my blood test results, I felt darkness fill my vision. All my senses became dysfunctional and I fell into a bottomless darkness.
It was like I was walking in an endless room. It wasn’t too dark because at the far end, I saw a small light. Relying on the light to illuminate my path, I stepped gingerly.
Hoping that something up ahead could lead me out of this place, I decided to keep going. I had to get back to where I came from after all. If it was indeed time for me to die, I didn’t want to die in solitude and darkness.
The more I walked, the more I could hear faint sounds. I felt relieved to be able to hear again. The bones in my body weren’t hurting anymore either so I decided to speed up my pace.
“Godiva…”
I heard two voices calling my name. It sounded so gut-wrenching to me and I recognized their voices. I can see, I can hear and I can walk. I want all of this to be over.
I felt something strange with my body. I felt my body become light. All my senses were functioning again. I could smell the scent of my own body. Like the perfume that humans used to wear, my body smelled like sweet pea.
I thought of Pollux. I understood why he always called me by that flower’s name. I smiled to myself as I was always annoyed by the nickname Pollux had given me.
“I have to go back.”
I didn’t want them to wait for me. I must fulfill my duty as their wife. I must become stronger. None of this can kill me.
“I don’t want to die here!”
I ran to reach the light. Again, I felt strange. My body felt light to run with and it was fun. I saw the light getting more massive.
I finally arrived at the end of the light. I looked at the large silver door with a handle made of metal colored like silver. I touched it with confidence and hope that I would get out of this place.
I opened the door slowly. My heart was beating fast as I looked forward to the view beyond the door. I stepped through the door and continued forward. Standing on the cold floor, my bare feet seemed to glow very brightly and continued to rise up my whole body.
I squinted my eyes to see what was happening. I blocked the light with my hands. When I felt a violent shaking in my body, I opened my eyes steadily.
“What’s going on?”