Jahree’s eyes fluttered open, and he was met with the sterile walls of a healing room. His head throbbed with a dull ache, and as he tried to move, a sharp pain radiated from his arms, making his stomach churn with a wave of nausea. In his disoriented state, he caught a glimpse of someone in the room with him, a figure that stirred a mix of emotions within him. He squinted, trying to bring the world into focus, and saw the familiar silhouette of Lanni, his companion. Memories of their recent altercation and his suicide attempt flashed through his mind—his body remembered the pain before his consciousness fully acknowledged it. Confused and still groggy, he couldn’t understand why she would re-main by his side after such a conflict. “Lanni?” His voice was a strained whisper, barely reaching his dry lips. “No, sorry.” The figure turned to face him, and the softness of her voice sent a chill down his spine. This woman, though strikingly similar to Lanni with her pale complexion and delicate features, was an impostor. He tried to ground himself in reality as fragment-ed memories from earlier that day overwhelmed his mind. This was the woman who had joined him in bed and sabotaged his chances with Lanni. “Who are you?” Jahree demanded, panic rising in his chest. His attempts to move led to another realization—he was restrained. The restraints held his wrists firmly in place, making it impossible for him to restrain her, to keep her from running off again. The sense of betrayal was suffocating. He had to keep her there to prove to Lanni that he hadn’t lied. “Help! Someone help me!” He shouted with urgency, the panic in his voice echoing through the halls of Rantar’s establishment. Where was Loka? Jahree scanned the area, but the healer was nowhere to be seen. Desperation crept into his voice, “Help.” At that moment, Trema, Tellic, and Loka hurried into the room, responding to Jahree’s cries. “What’s going on?” Trema asked, his face etched with concern. “Restrain her. She drugged me and pretended to be Lanni.” His tone suggested a mix-ture of pain and betrayal. “I what?” The accused woman’s eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief. “I haven’t touched him. He just woke up and started yelling.” Jahree was adamant, his memory clear from the morning’s events. “This morning, you came into my room,” he recounted, looking directly at her. The woman held her ground, asserting her innocence. “This morning, I was in New Trito,” she claimed, offering an alibi. Her confidence suggested she spoke the truth or was a skilled liar. Undeterred, Jahree turned to his companions, seeking validation, “Ask Lanni. She saw her,” he insisted, confident that Lanni’s testimony would confirm his claims. The ten-sion in the room rose as the group faced a quandary, unsure who to believe in the unfold-ing drama. Perhaps it would be best if you waited in the next room,” Loka suggested gently to the woman. “In the meantime, I can keep an eye on Jahree until Midta returns.” “May I also stay?” Tellic sought permission, his tone conveying a mix of hope and concern. “Maybe we can figure out what happened.” Trema gave a nod of concurrence, turning to Jahree for his acquiescence. “Would that be alright with you?” he inquired. Jahree, a pained look etched into his features, gave a reluctant assent. “I suppose so. Just don’t let her go anywhere.” The woman, her voice steady despite the gravity of the accusation hanging over her, addressed them with an earnest resolve. “Believe me, I have no intention of leaving. If I am being implicated in a matter this grave, I demand to understand the reason.” With that, she followed Trema out of the room, her stride echoing her determination for truth. “What happened?” Tell promptly pressed Jahree for an explanation, a frown creasing his brow. “Why did you try to kill yourself?” A wave of grief crossed Jahree’s face as he spoke words, heavy with sorrow, “Lanni’s gone.” “Gone? What do you mean by ‘gone’? She’s in the next room,” Loka countered, his bewilderment evident in her tone. But Jahree was insistent, his voice breaking under the weight of the revelation. “She said she wanted nothing to do with me. She said she was leaving and going back to Sen-gan!” The urgency in Tell’s question intensified as he sought the reasons for the sudden split. “Why? What happened?” “She saw me in bed with that woman and thought I was cheating on her. I wasn’t. I swear,” Jahree protested vehemently. “Then why were you in bed with her?” Loka inquired, disbelief tainting her otherwise calm demeanor. Jahree began to explain, his voice trembling with the toll of recounting the shameful encounter. “I thought it was Lanni. After breakfast, I fell asleep hard. Some woman came in that looked like Lanni. She said she was going to keep me company until lunch and lay down with me. She…” He paused, the memory causing his heart to constrict. “I put my fingers in her hair and realized it was the wrong length. That’s when I knew it was some-one else, and that’s when Lanni walked in and left again.” Driven by desperation to exonerate himself, he continued, “I followed to explain, but she wouldn’t listen. She said she was leaving. Drepal woke and pushed me. I went back to my room to get the woman to tell Lanni what happened, but she was gone. I can’t live without Lanni, but with my past and without proof, she will never believe me. You have to make that woman tell Lanni I had no idea who she was.” His eyes, filled with anguish, pleaded for their assistance “I’m not saying anything you said was a lie,” Loka clarified gently, addressing Jahree with concern in her expression. “But it wasn’t Tilla, the woman you accused. Tilla couldn’t have done that. She’s part dragon. You grew up with Tey and Sai. You know that.” Jahree, still processing the information, raised an eyebrow skeptically. “You’re sure she’s a dragon?” he asked, searching for confirmation in Loka’s steady gaze. “I’ve known her since she was born. Lanni found you. She called to The Three for help. Tilla and Midta came. Lanni put herself into a trance, trying to stop the bleeding. She’s out, and we have her resting.” “I’ll talk with the captain and make sure there’s a guard at your door until we find out who the woman was,” Tell pledged with a solemn nod, understanding the gravity of the situation. “I’m a guard,” Jahree protested weakly, his pride injured by the suggestion of needing protection. “I shouldn’t need one.” “We all need help sometimes,” Loka gently rebuked, her voice a mixture of admon-ishment and reassurance. “You lost a considerable amount of blood, Jahree. It’s a miracle you’re even conscious. Right now, your body needs to recuperate. I’m going to cast a sleep spell to help you rest. Tell will keep watch over you in the meantime.” “Captain Morina has agreed to take on your shift during your recovery period,” Tell chimed in to explain the arrangements made. “And Captain Kritalla has graciously of-fered to cover mine.” “It’s also likely that Chapado will take up the role of war guard until this situation is resolved,” Loka added, providing further details on the steps being taken to ensure secu-rity and order. Acknowledging the necessity of rest and the measures being taken for his safety, Jahree reluctantly nodded and let his eyes drift shut. Though sleep seemed less than ap-pealing, with the likelihood of nightmares plaguing him and haunting his rest, he couldn’t deny his exhaustion. The deep gravity of his own thoughts lingered as he pondered: Could his nightmares possibly be any worse than the harsh reality he faced upon waking? #fantasy #magic #dragons #hiddenlands