Once again, I had awoken in unfamiliar surroundings. This time, the room wasn't as elegant and pristine as the last one. It was enough to be called a room. There was a small window with a wooden frame, and the floor was also made of wood. A small table and chair were placed on the side near the window, and a small flower was neatly placed in the middle.
A thin beam of light fell across my face through a window. Dust flew lazily through it.
My eyes were open but weren't particularly looking at anything. They were unfocused, just staring at somewhere between me and the wall, nowhere really.
The blank expression was painted on my face, lost in thought.
What was I?
The pieces slowly came together. A boy named Orion. A mother somewhere. A coma of some sort, but the length was still unknown. I wonder who that doctor was; he said that this condition was temporary. So my first task was regaining my memory.
The door crept open, slicing the silence in the room. The maid from earlier pushed through the small crack, offering me a gentle smile.
"Orion, are you doing well?"
I dipped my chin.
She slid in, balancing a tray of steaming food and towering glasses. She carried a serene aura; a slow shiver ran through my back, shutting off something in me. She placed the food on the side of my bed, dragging the wooden chair beside me. Sitting down, she took the spoon and scooped into the food. Raising it towards me, her other hand cupped beneath it. She blew cool air on it as she raised it to my lips.
I looked away from the spoon, my ears slightly reddened.
The corner of her mouth lifted, yet her eyes didn't follow. "Orion, you're still recovering. Don't make me hold this all day."
A slow shiver runs down my back. Like a broken mannequin, I turn towards the spoon, opening my mouth stiffly. My ears burn, wanting this torture to end.
The sharpness that flickered through her eyes was gone.
I ate the rest of my food without a word. As I was eating, questions began to crowd my mind. I wonder if she had the answers.
Reaching for her sleeve, I tug it. Her eyes read my face before I could attempt to convey my thoughts.
"Seven years."
***
Seven days have passed. Within that time, I have been able to find out many things about who and where I was. We ruled the northern region of a nation called Uthria. It is what people would call perfect: the strongest nation, the safest, the wealthiest. Although she couldn't convey it, I could hear something sharp beneath her words.
Uthria…
My first thought was that its name creeped me out. The eerie feeling from it was something I was unable to get rid of, no matter how much I tried.
My day-to-day life was pretty exhausting. In the morning, I would get ready for classes in language. It appears that there were some things my memory couldn't really hide. First was my individuality. Talia told me my personality was the same, but I could tell she was hiding some things. I didn't pry too much into it. The second thing was my ability to understand people. This part also confused her, but he was the only case of a comatose patient not losing his ability to understand language. I would have to do more digging to find the other parts of myself I still have.
My lessons with Talia consist mainly of writing. It was the best way for me to convey what I thought until I regained my voice.
The other classes were more mundane things, such as etiquette and drawing. I couldn't do too much since I was still confined to my bed.
I also had rehabilitation; the doctor would drop in twice a week to give me exercises to do and measure my progress. Talia was exceptionally strict with the exercises.
Some days, the weight of my reality presses down on me; I don't really know why, but on those days, Talia wheeled me out, and it always helped. In the past week, I have grown close to her; even if I was a hollow shell, I felt that my time with Talia wasn't really hollow.
I also found out that I am someone special, not really. I am anything but special, more of a burden. My father is the lord of Noxaris, the name of our land. Talia would tell me that my dad was busy and couldn't come to see me. Whenever she answers, her gaze stays slightly too steady. It didn't bother me. Yet every time I think of something about my parents, a void opens in my chest.
Am I really their son?
***
The garden holds a secret. I overheard the maids talking about it, but it seems that at night, it comes to life. The thought of it wouldn't leave me alone, and I wished I could see it; every attempt, she would tell me to sleep.
A month has passed, and I am told I will be done with my lessons soon. One more week, only one more week of hell. The hell that is called rehabilitation. Every day, I am forced to undergo exercises to relearn how to walk. Don't get me wrong, I want to walk too, but not this way. I have to extend my leg as I am held back by an elastic band; sometimes, it cuts my skin, which leaves my skin raw to the assault of the wind.
My doctor came to do his final check-up to assess progress, and with a nod, he concluded it. A small smile crept onto his lips, and he told us this would be the last time. He left me a few exercises, but I wasn't really listening anymore. I could finally walk on my own two feet now without Talia watching over me.
It has been three days since I was given freedom to walk around the house. I still couldn't leave the house, but Today was the day I would venture into untold territories. Talia wouldn't be the only one hogging the garden at night.
I could feel a grin spreading before I could stop it. Once it hit midnight, Operation Garden was a go. Hmm, I'd work on the name later, but these past three days weren't for nothing. I carefully observed the people around me. Thirty minutes before midnight, there would be a maid tidying the hallways in front of my room. Then she would take the stairs down, dust the flower pots, and eventually reach the storage. That was my window, and the first hurdle would be cleared by yours truly.
The second hurdle would be getting past the kitchen without the red-haired maid noticing. I would either have to wait twenty minutes for her to leave, or I would have to take a risk. The moment she tries to put the pot in the cabinet, I would time my leap across the opening. After that, all that was left was Talia.
Her room is on the left of the garden, so getting past her while she reads is going to be the hardest part. I'm still gambling on this part, but sometimes she would pause and look outside. With a distant face, she would stand there like a mannequin, so I'll take my chances with that. I'd already made a mess in the hallway to buy myself some time in case the first maid didn't do the cleaning today.
It had to work.
The time finally came upon me, and I slowly opened my door. holding the door in place, I twisted the handle as far as it would go. My chest tightened, terrified it would creak, but luckily, nothing of the sort happened. I pulled the door towards me and peeked my head to the end of the hallway. Just as I planned, she was cleaning the mess I made and slowly descending the hallway. Hearing the muffled creaks of the wood beneath. I slipped out each step deliberately and silently.
I heard a door close from somewhere below. If I didn't make it now, I would never get this chance again. I took the stairs one at a time, and on each step I would take a second to rest; those muffled creaks would not be the end of me. Eventually, I reached the end of the steps and ran in front of the storage to the side of the kitchen door. Now came the harder part, staying still.
If I waited too long, the first maid would have come out of the storage and seen me sneaking around. If I didn't make my move within a minute, I would fail. Eyeing the red-haired maid, the cabinet was nowhere near her path. Cursing in my mind, I waited. Every second felt like a minute as shivers ran down my back and sweat prickled at the back of my neck. The plan be dammed, I was moving.
Seeing her life the pot towards the sink, that was my chance. I shot across the opening, hoping she didn't catch the movement in her blind spot. At that point, I didn't care anymore. The door was in front of me, and even if Talia saw me, I would still be able to see it.
Racing towards the garden, I stole a glance at her room. To my surprise, the lights were off, and my room was empty. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding onto, and I felt light. I did it. I would be able to finally see it. I was already grinning as I reached the door, but a second later, my heart dropped.
Talia was there.