Stars Of Memory

Chapter 50

Jīvitaya opens her eyes to bright sunlight and squints, struggling to sit up. There is a low rumble from nearby and she stops moving at once. A wet nose nudges at her cheek before licking her with a large and sandpaper-like tongue. Jīvitaya smiles and pats Laira. Her eyes finally adjust to the light, and she opens them wider. She is in an unfamiliar room, and sitting in a chair beside the bed is Kysanden. She beams at him, and he smiles back tentatively before his face falls back into a concerned expression.

"Jīa, I come back and you're in a coma, what have you been up to? And am I always going to end up finding you after you have a near-death experience?"

Jīvitaya frowns before speaking, her voice hoarse. "You don't know what happened?"

He shakes his head. "No, but I felt it when it did. It completely terrified me. I rushed back here as quickly as I could. Your friend, the Correll-."

She cuts him off. "Iyokú. Her name is Iyokú."

"Okay. As I was saying, Iyokú refuses to tell us what happened until you were awake, and only if you chose to tell us. So, will you please tell us what was going on?"

Jīvitaya thinks for a moment before shaking her head slightly. Kysanden starts to open his mouth in anger to say something, so she elaborates. "There are some parts of it that I can't say, not because I don't want to but because I'm not the best person to do so. As well, it's a long story and I don't want to repeat it multiple times. And how likely is it that I'll even be able to say much with my voice like this and having just woken from a coma?"

He smiles slightly. "Very well. I'll go tell everyone you are awake."

He exits the room, and Jīvitaya whispers into the air. "Chiarina, are you still here? Or have you moved on?"

The air ripples and the room grows brighter as Chiarina materializes. "I'm here, Lilaria. How are you?"

"Better now that I'm awake, but I think it will be a little while before I'm fully recovered."

Chiarina smiles. "I'm glad to hear it. What did you want me for?"

"I'm supposed to explain what happened, but I can only say so much. Could you explain the bits that you told me before? About the prophecy and what you did?"

"Of course, Lilaria."

Jīvitaya is about to say something else when her parents, Iyokú, the Correllia, and Kysanden enter the room. Her mother jumps slightly when she sees Chiarina before she rushes over to Jīvitaya, enveloping her in a tight hug. Her father joins them in the hug and they stay huddled together for a few moments before Jīvitaya is released. Her mother looks at Jīvitaya in concern.

"Are you alright, Jīvitaya?"

She nods. "Yes, and I'll be even better once I have something to drink."

Her mother laughs and the Correllia passes her a glass, which she then hands to Jīvitaya. Jīvitaya takes a sip, and the cool liquid instantly begins to soothe her throat.

Her father speaks, his voice betraying his worry. "Will someone please tell us what happened now, and who is this?"

He points to Chiarina, who answers him. "I am Chiarina, the girl who fell into the well."

Jīvitaya's mother gasps. "But how are you here?"

"A little known side effect of the power of spirit is that if you die, you can stick around as a spirit, especially if you have things left undone. It also means you can use your powers in death."

Her mother frowns. "But I don't understand, how do you fit into the story?"

Chiarina smiles and explains her part, with Jīvitaya and Iyokú filling in the gaps. As she is told the last bit of the story, her mother gasps.