"Tayala is not dead."
A collective gasp swept through the children. Shock, disbelief, and relief all mingled in their wide-eyed stares.
"What? How...?" Neteyam breathed first, unable to process it.
"She's in a comatose state," Ronal explained, her voice calm but laced with urgency. "She lost a lot of blood from the wound, but luckily, it missed her heart and vital organs. She's... simply sleeping. All we can do is wait for her to wake."
The room was silent for a heartbeat, the weight of her words settling over everyone. Slowly, the children began to leave, opting to spend the rest of the day together, their minds briefly lifted from the shadows of fear.
⸻
When I finally came to, pain radiated through every fiber of my body. My eyes felt glued shut, my chest heavy and labored. Blinking through the haze, I gradually forced my lids open, taking in a blurry sky above me. Slowly, awareness returned—I was lying on sand, the dry grains clinging to my skin.
I struggled upright, feeling the weight of exhaustion press down on me. My surroundings came into focus: the Ancestors' Cove. My legs wobbled, but I forced myself toward the water. Every motion reminded me how long I had been unconscious. My skin, parched and gritty, tingled painfully in the sunlight.
The spirit tree swayed below, its leaf-like tendrils caressing the shallow currents. Something inside me pulled me toward it—an instinctive tug I couldn't ignore. Eywa was calling me. My hand reached for the braid trailing down my back, connecting it to the pink tendrils of the tree.
Instantly, white light engulfed me. My body convulsed as a strange, electrifying energy surged through me. Flashes of color danced across my vision in dizzying spirals. A voice—bodiless and ethereal—whispered, reverberating in my mind.
"Wake up."
Confused, disoriented, I tried to piece together where I was. My last memory was of being in the Ancestors' Cove, then the spirit tree... and now this white void. The voice came again, insistent, pressing me forward.
"They still need you. Wake up."
A rush of clarity hit me: Jake. His kids. Tsireya. Ao'nung. They thought I was gone. The realization crashed through me like a tidal wave, and with it, a desperate will to live. I focused, praying to Eywa, willing my body to respond. Pain seared through my head, nearly knocking me back into darkness, but I clenched my teeth and fought against it.
I forced my eyes open again. Light flooded in, and slowly, the familiar woven roof of Ronal and Tonowari's hut came into view. Relief and disbelief coiled through me as I flexed my fingers and toes, testing my strength. My body was stiff, heavy, but alive.
"Thank Eywa," a voice cried. Ronal's wide-eyed face hovered over me, relief radiating from every feature. "I thought I'd never see this day."
"How long... was I out?" I croaked, my voice hoarse and foreign to my own ears.
"Two days."
I froze. Two days? My heart clenched, anxiety tightening its grip. "Is... Jake still here?"
Ronal's expression softened. "He got back yesterday after the war. The Sky People have been defeated, but he doesn't know you're alive yet."
I tried to sit fully upright, aching all over, longing to see him. "Can... can I see him?"
"Not yet. I need to make sure you're okay first," she said gently but firmly. I gritted my teeth, relenting. Even after everything, I couldn't refuse her.
She worked quickly, checking every inch of me, murmuring under her breath, weaving her tools and chants together. Finally, she sat back, smiling. "You're free to go. I am so glad you're back, Tayala." She enveloped me in a hug. I clung to her tightly before gingerly standing, my body stiff and fragile.
Before I could leave, Tonowari entered, his jaw dropping. I smiled awkwardly, letting him close the distance. He reached out, his hand hesitating before patting my arm, as if confirming I was real. His eyes widened further when he felt my warmth.
"You're alive?" he whispered.
"I'm alive," I said, tears threatening to spill.
We hugged—father and daughter, soul-deep relief mingling in every heartbeat. Even Ronal joined the embrace, grounding me in the present.
We separated, and the quiet was punctuated by small squeaks outside—footsteps along the pathways.
I crept back into the shadowed cover of the Marui, unsure who was approaching, and my breath caught. Dark blue skin, familiar and aching in memory... Jake.
He hadn't seen me yet. His posture was slumped, eyes downcast, shoulders heavy with grief and exhaustion. I listened, heart sinking, as he murmured to Tonowari and Ronal, "...we'll move off tomorrow."
They were leaving? I couldn't let that happen.
As if sensing me, both Tonowari and Ronal stepped aside, revealing me. Jake froze. His eyes widened, unblinking, uncomprehending. I could almost see his mind racing—was this real, or a hallucination born from grief?
I closed the distance, ignoring the ache in my legs and the trembling in my body. When I reached him, I lifted his hand and placed it firmly against my chest.
"Feel that?" I whispered.
His lips trembled, a shiver of disbelief running through him. "Ayla..."
"Hi, Jake," I said softly, my voice steady despite the shaking in my limbs.
