The silence that surrounded me felt like an angel’s lullaby entering my soul and soothing out the roughness of the day. It was so calming and peaceful, urging me to drown all my negative thoughts in a long and heavy slumber. Yet, somehow, a part of it was terrifying as it lingered longer than it should have and the temptation to rupture it was too great to resist, and just like that my eyes slowly fluttered open, squinting in attempt to sharpen the blurred images before me. I glanced around and took in the deserted, white and blue colored room, where the strong scent of disinfectant roamed in the air. I was lying on a white bed and covered in a soft gray blanket, and around me the sounds of beeping machines where the only thing to break the silence of the room. I concluded that I was laying on one of the infirmary’s beds – calling it an infirmary was an understatement as it was bigger and more advanced than the best hospitals in the world- and my senses started to function more properly. I could pick up the chatter noises coming from behind the door. How long have I been here? I shut my eyes close trying to remember what had exactly happened, and just like that, it all hit me with a bang and suddenly I was being forced to swim once more in the tide waters of my nightmares. I was once again stuck in a poorly lit alley surrounded and outnumbered by shadowy figures before, slowly but surely, getting stabbed. I had to bite my lip to keep me from crying out. Sharp pain lanced through my chest and before I could recover from it another memory flashed through my eyes. The school in chaos. The battle. The girls fighting. The fallen students. The lifeless bodies of teachers. The sounds of fire and wind. The horrible stench of the dark figures in the air. I opened my eyes and sat up straight, feeling a sting in the back of my eyes and trying desperately to hold back my tears. What had happened? What were those things and why were they killing everyone left and right? Where were the girls? What happened to me? Endless questions raced through my mind and I scrambled to my feet, trying to unhook my arms from the machines that were attached to me. I had to get out of this room; I had to find out where everyone was and if my friends were alright. Oh God, I hope they were alright.

I had finally managed to free my arms and slid on the slippers that were left besides the bed, when suddenly the door knob turned and someone entered the room.

“Mom?” I blinked at the sight of my mother as she strode towards me, taking me in her arms.

“Oh honey, I’m so glad you’re alright. Your father and I were so worried about you.” She whispered softly in my ear, her familiar soothing voice brought those tears back into my eyes.

“I’m fine, mom. What are you doing here? How did you get here so fast? Is dad with you?” I bit my tongue, realizing that I was once again asking too many questions at once. My mother pulled back, her arms resting on my shoulders, and I took a closer look at her. Her fiery red hair was wrapped up in a bun, strands of it poking out in every direction. Her jade green eyes looked faded and bloodshot, and the circles under her eyes were a shade too dark for her pale skin. She seemed exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept in days, a shell of the Genevieve Ignis I knew and loved. She led me back to the bed, sitting at its edge and motioning for me to follow.

“Your father is right outside honey.” She smiled at me, but her smile lacked its usual warmth. “We got here yesterday morning. We came as soon as the council called us.”

“Yesterday morning?” I gasped. “How long have I been out?”

“Almost two days honey.” My mother caressed my hair. “We were so worried. The doctor said you sustained a hard blow to the chest and head, but there was no internal bleeding. We just had to wait for you to wake up on your own. You must have been so scared.” Her voice rose in pitch, almost as if she was fighting tears, and she looked away from me.

“Two days?” I blinked, bewildered. I had been unconscious for two days, unaware of what was happening around me. I rose suddenly, not entirely sure of what I was going to do, but I knew I had to get out of here.

“Where are you going?” Mom held my arm and stood up, blocking my way to the door.”

“I have to go see if my friends are okay mom. I have to look for Kira and Rose.”

“Your friends are alright, honey. They stopped by earlier to check on you and promised to come back again later.” She pulled me back to the bed again. “You can’t go anywhere before the doctor clears it. You could have a concussion.”

“Then please get the doctor mom. I don’t want to stay here any longer.” I pleased, and a few seconds of hesitation later, my mom obliged.

As soon as the door closed behind my mother, I sprang up to my feet again. My clothes were laid on a chair opposite my bed, and I hurriedly took off the white hospital gown and put them on, tripping several times in the process. The logical voice in my mind urged me to stay and wait for the doctor, whispering that my mother was right to worry, but my mother wasn’t there. She didn’t see that awful bloodbath; she didn’t hear the screams of the helpless students as they fell to their death. She didn’t feel the uselessness that I had drowned in as I had stood there, unable to help anyone. I had to get out of here; I had to go see if my friends were okay, I had to get to the bottom of this. I slowly crept up to the door and opened it slightly. The hallway was empty, no sign of doctors or nurses or - thankfully- my parents. I got out of the room and slowly closed the door behind me, careful not to make any sound. I hurried down the corridor, making my way towards the entrance of the infirmary. A few doors were open as I walked by them, and I noted grimly that all of them were occupied. I lowered my head as a nurse exited one of the rooms and passed me by, carrying a tray of bloody cloths.

“…She can’t know that yet. It’s too dangerous.” I stepped back swiftly and hid behind the wall, recognizing Mr. Blackthorn’s voice. I peered from my hiding spot and cursed my luck as I saw that he was standing in front of the entrance, talking with my father. They were blocking my way out and they would no doubt drag me back to that room if they caught me sneaking out, so I had no other choice but to stay where I was –and listen.

“It’s been so long.” My dad said, dejection clear in his voice. He was standing with his back to me, so I couldn’t see his features, but I had the feeling he was just as tired as my mother had looked.

“She’s not safe. Not yet.” Mr. Blackthorn said firmly. He was wearing the same clothes he wore the day of the attack, and they were torn and bloody. His hair was covered in mud and leaves and his right cheek was scraped from his temple to the corner of his mouth. Why hadn’t he been admitted to the hospital? The way he fought that day, the way he looked now, that scrape couldn’t be his only injury. But a more nagging question rose in the back of my mind as I listened in on their hushed conversation: Who were they talking about?

“We thought she would be safe here, didn’t we? Look how wrong we’ve been.” My father’s voice was louder than he had probably intended it to be, and he worked his hand through his hair as he spoke again in a lower tone “She could have died Isaiah.” Where they talking about me?

“But she didn’t, Nathaniel. I wouldn’t let that happen. I got her out of there just in time.” Was he the one who saved me? The only thing I could remember was someone shouting my name before I had out, and in the back of my mind, behind all the questions that stormed through my brain since I woke up, that was one of them. It seemed now that that was a question I had the answer to.

“I know you did. Thank you Isaiah.” My father sounded grateful as he put his hand on Mr. Blackthorn’s shoulder. “You have always been there for her.” Was he? I was very grateful for the man, but I had no idea he existed until I got to Lixierra, so what could my father possibly mean? “How is her training going?”

“As well as we could hope f