Bound between worlds

3

Liana

Everything hurt. My head, my body, everything seemed to hurt. I groaned indignified as I tried to open my eyes with some effort. They were so heavy. I heard noises and tried to get my ears to function again. What had happened? My throat was so rough that I had to cough when I breathed, which triggered a stabbing pain in my head. I felt a hand on my arm and suddenly all the memories bounced back to me: the soldiers, the dungeon. The General. Screaming and trashing aroung wildly, I tried to shake off the person who was touching me. Not again. Please not again. Finally I managed to open my eyes and what I saw made me freeze on the spot: I was no longer in the dungeon. Before me were standing three women and an elderly gentleman, all dressed in white cloaks and with worried looks. I sat in a bed and wore a strange robe. There was a needle in my arm. Trembling with fear, I looked around. The four people in the room made no effort to approach me, but waited for a reaction on my part as it seemed.

"Where ... am I?" I croaked laboriously. Was I dead?

The older gentleman smiled at me. "You're in a hospital. I'm Dr. Balan, these are Your nurses. How do you feel?" he asked in a calm voice.

A hospital. That's with the strange clothes and the needle in my arm. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I flinched so violently that I accidentally tore the hose that was connected to an infusion bag by my arm. My brain seemed to be slowly getting back into gear. One of the nurses slowly opened the door and a man walked in.

I gasped audibly - and blushed promptly. He was incredibly handsome. Long, dark hair held back by a man bun. A striking face with a light beard and a pretty, straight nose. But when I looked into his eyes, the world around us disappeared. I felt weightless and at the same time attracted to him. As if I knew deep down that I would be happy and safe with him and that he could ward off any harm coming for me. Absentmindedly I was about to raise my arms in a hug when I noticed the color of his eyes: violet eyes. Frightened, I drove back, my euphoric state shattered like a piece of glass.

"You" was the only word I came up with. His violet eyes showed pain. Because of me? I didn't even notice how the medical staff left the room, I was so fixated on this guy in front of me.

"What do you remember?" he asked cautiously. At the sound of his voice, my heart beat faster. It was deep and soothing. I could have listened to him talking for hours. Embarrassed by my strange thoughts, I lowered my head and took a few deep breaths in and out.

"I was in this dungeon and the general of the palace guard ... he ...", I faltered and tears rose in my eyes. I didn't want to say it. "I'm so sorry," was all he said, his voice sounded suffocated. It seemed to affect him quite a bit. He slowly came closer until he stood right next to my bed. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. "You saved me." It wasn't a question. I remembered his eyes, the gentle hands that had removed the chains and the collar. I carefully felt my throat, but it seemed to have healed.

"Why was I there?" my question was just a whisper. I didn't even know why all this has happened to me.

At my words, his eyebrows rose. "You don't know that?" he was noticeably surprised, but not angry when I interpreted it correctly.

I just sobbed and shook my head. "I can't remember anything. I woke up in this cell and everything before that is somewhat blurry," I said.

"Okay... Do you know what your name is?"

I shook my head and cried harder.

"Everything's fine, it will be fine," he tried to calm me down, but his words sounded hollow.

"Do you know who I am?"

I looked up at his pretty face again. I had never met him before. At least not that I could remember - but that was the problem after all. So I shook my head again. He sighed.