I open my eyes. It is a fretful sleep, and now that I am awake and studying my surroundings, I completely forget about my dreams.
"How are you?" Klevon asks who is sitting on the side of my bed.
I sit up, and he supports me. We are in the basement of the sibling's house. I hear activities from the top, probably some construction and rebuilding, based on the pounding against the wood.
"How long have I been sleeping?" I ask.
"Three days," he answers. "They cooked soup. Do you like that?"
I shift my attention to him. "What happened to Stine?" I ask, ignoring his question about the soup.
"Ah!" he exclaims. "Before that, let me get you some food, and we can discuss the events after you fainted."
I nod, and Klevon disappears. While I wait for him, I rub my temple. It feels as if I am forgetting something important again. However, no matter how much I try to think about it, the more it escapes my grasp.
The basement door opens again, and Klevon comes inside. This time, he is holding a tray of food. "They insisted you eat some solid food," Klevon says as he places the tray on my lap. "Now, eat."
And I did eat while I listen to his narration. According to him, during the first wave of monsters, the Stine warriors still tried to defend against them, but they fell victim to Bryer and his monsters one by one.
When I fell unconscious after defeating Bryer, the battle against the black monsters raged for hours. In the end, they completely annihilated all the black creatures.
However, they might have defeated them, but there is still the unmistakable destruction that Bryer and his minions had caused to the Stine Kingdom. They triumphed, but it was still a bittersweet victory with the number of deaths, both accounted for and unaccounted for. The castle also needs cleaning, other than the burying of the dead found within its walls.
"And Ninus?" I ask. "How is he?"
"Gezer calmed Ninus down, with Inanna's help. But he is still pretty angry. I hope you'd stay away from him in the meantime."
I point at General Brandon, who is lying on the other bed close to me. "How is he?"
"Pretty much drained, but he will survive. He just needs to rest a lot since they siphoned his magic."
I nod, trying to absorb the information.
"Kaiya…" Klevon starts, but his voice is a little low. "What do you remember?"
"Remember? What do you mean?" I ask while trying to understand his question.
"Your memories. What can you remember?"
"Same as before, I am with Theo and..." Why am I with Theo, anyway? I know he is not my mate, then.
"Kaiya?" Klevon asks.
I smirk. Right, I took hold of Bryer's mind during our battle. Of course, that will shave off some of my earned memories. Last time, it didn't take my memories because Inanna allowed entry into her mind. And a god's mind seems to operate under a different rule.
"Seems like I've forgotten a couple of my memories again. I only remember the part where I am with Theo already, before I got sent to the hunting park."
He did not respond and only looked at me with worry.
"When will we return to Pitchford?" I ask, looking away.
"In two days," he answers. "Once everyone is strong enough to take the journey."
I nod. Two days. I can take some rest before then. I need it–especially after all that happened these past few weeks.
"Do you need anything else?" Klevon asks.
"No, I'm alright," I reply, already slightly tired. "I just need to sleep," I add before sliding back into the bed and hiding under the covers.

********************
When night arrives, Klevon wakes me up and says that some festival is happening in the village. There are other survivors who have been hiding in different locations. But now that Bryer and his black creatures are done, they returned to the village.
The instant I leave the house, I feel the chilly air. With or without the monsters, Stine Kingdom is a cold place.
"Here," Klevon says, placing a blanket over my shivering body. He pulls me and adds, "We can sit in the area closest to the fire."
I frown. I am about to complain when I am pushed on a wooden chair close to the fire. The warmth of the fire is so welcome that I lean closer to it. In fact, I don't even complain when Klevon starts to make small talk about the weather and our dinner.
And so, when he grabs my hand, I am honestly surprised. I look up at him and then at the hands that he is holding. "Ahm, Klevon, if–"
He grins. He taps my nose before saying, "Let's hold hands before our dinner is served."
I allow him this time. Besides, I don't feel like arguing with him. And so, we sit there in silence, hand in hand, while we wait for food.
"Kaiya, don't you know? The past few days, I am scared I will lose you to the battle with Bryer," Klevon suddenly whispers.
I shift my attention to him. "So, you don't trust my abilities enough."
"No," he answers as he gazes at me. It's as if he wants to tell me something that he is afraid of. "My gut instinct is telling me I will lose you soon. Not to Theo... But to something else. As if you will lose your life soon."
I frown at him. "Are you trying to set a romantic mood, Klevon? Because, right now, the mood is just ominous."
His mood lightens up, and he grins at me. "What, my dear Kaiya, do you want some romance with me?" he teases.
He leans towards me and cups my cheeks. I pull back before he can kiss me. "Seriously, Klevon. I don't get how your mind works. You are scaring me a few minutes ago, and then you are acting flirty again."
He laughs. "Then, you should refrain from making me feel warm all the time." He leans towards me again. Thankfully, his kiss is placed on my forehead instead. "There you go. All nice and sweet."
I reach for the part he kissed and rub it. "I–"
"Klevon!"
I look up at the trembling voice. It is General Brandon who is looking down on me and Klevon.
"Why are you kissing a King's lover?!"
Klevon shrugs his shoulders, and I answer, "I am no longer Theo's lover."
"You still share a mate bond with him, Miss Kaiya," he scolds.
"A mate bond that is only one way."
General Brandon sighs, exasperated. Looking at him, he still shows weakness in the way he moves. In fact, he is using a crutch to walk around. They must have siphoned his magic too much for him to be like this.
"That's it!" General Brandon exclaims. "Before we return to Pitchford, we will stop over somewhere. So prepare yourself for tomorrow's travel."
"Wait! Who said–" Klevon starts.
But General Brandon cuts him off with a, "I am still your senior, Klevon. And right now, I don't like how you act around King Theo's mate."