DELIA~

Her steps stopped in the middle of that corridor’s shadow.

Something had changed, she didn’t know what, but she could feel it.

She went still for a moment, her closed eyes looking toward the room door she had just walked out of.

Almost undetectable. But enough to make her chest tighten.

"What was that just now?"

She whispered quietly. Not a sound but not a touch either, more like... the loss of something that was supposed to be there. But suddenly gone.

Her eyes opened slowly. Her gaze was sharp looking toward that room door. For a long time, as if trying to understand something that couldn’t be seen. Her brow furrowed slightly.

One of her brows lifted. Then at the corner of her lips it lifted slightly.

"So this isn’t a coincidence?..." she whispered quietly. Even though she didn’t know what was happening inside. But one thing she was very certain of... that girl was not ordinary.

"Well well," she said then turned her body. Laughing quietly. And that was enough for Delia... to feel something challenging and suspicious about Olivia.

"How very interesting..." she whispered again before stepping away. Slowly, her shadow disappeared into the darkness.

___________________________

Meanwhile, inside Ophla’s room.

"Olivia!!"

Both of them called Olivia’s name who was already lying on that cold floor.

"My Lady!! What do we do!!" said Celine. Her hands started trembling seeing Olivia who had suddenly fainted.

"Celine, calm down..." her hand rested on Celine’s shoulder. Then Celine tried to draw in a breath and nodded slowly.

"Can you walk?" Ophla asked again with a serious face. Without thinking long she nodded. Ophla let out a relieved breath. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Then,

"Can you please call the Physician?!! Go to Madam Ivy’s ... she knows"

she said. Ophla’s heart beat hard. Frightened seeing her own friend faint in front of her. Quickly Celine stepped away. Her footsteps could be heard all along that corridor.

"What happened to you Olivia?.." Ophla whispered quietly while moving her body. With great difficulty, she lifted Olivia’s body and laid her on the bed. Light.

"Didn’t expect Olivia to be this light" she murmured. Not expecting it at all. Step by step she finally managed to push Olivia slowly onto her bed then pulled her chair to the side of that bed.

She gasped quietly. Then looked at Olivia who was lying asleep. Something inside her chest felt tight. Watching Olivia lying there. An old memory surfaced. Someone who had once lain like this...

never woke up again.

"Olivia, wake up quickly!!" she whispered quietly.

Not long after,

The room door opened wide, hurried footsteps filled that room. Then Celine’s voice was heard.

"In here sir..." Celine’s voice was still trembling as she brought in an older man, neatly dressed in a long dark coat. His hand gripped a medical kit tightly.

That Physician without wasting time...

"Lay her properly." His voice was calm but firm. Ophla immediately stepped back slightly to give that physician room. The man sat at the side of the bed. His fine veined hands reached for Olivia’s arm. Then silence filled that room.

Only the sound of slow breathing filled the space. He checked her pulse. Then his brow furrowed slightly.

"...strange."

That one word fell slowly. Celine and Ophla approached him.

"Strange? What does that mean?" Celine asked immediately, her voice almost breaking.

That Physician didn’t answer right away.

Instead, his hand moved upward touching Olivia’s forehead, then opening Olivia’s eyelids. Then stopped for a moment... as if feeling something that couldn’t be seen.

His eyes narrowed.

"She doesn’t have a fever."

"Then why did she faint?!" Celine grew more anxious.

Ophla just stayed quiet. Her gaze didn’t leave Olivia’s face.

That Physician slowly pulled his hand back.

"Her pulse... is stable."

He stopped.

"...too stable."

Ophla’s brow lifted slightly.

"What does ’too’ stable mean?"

That Physician didn’t answer immediately.

His hand stopped at Olivia’s wrist, a little longer than it should have been.

"Like someone who is sleeping."

Silence fell.

"Not fainted?" Celine whispered quietly.

"If someone faints, the body usually shows signs of pressure... unsteady pulse, breathing changes..." he explained.

"But she..."

He looked at Olivia once more.

"...it’s as if her body isn’t experiencing anything at all."

But his eyes weren’t fully certain.

Slowly, he opened his medical kit. Taking out a small bottle of clear liquid.

"This will help stimulate consciousness."

He brought that bottle close to Olivia’s nose. But after a few minutes passed, Olivia still showed no reaction at all.

They patiently waited for Olivia.

"Let’s wait a few more minutes" said that physician again.

Then after a few minutes...

Olivia’s hand moved slightly. Almost invisible. That Physician stopped. His eyes fell toward Olivia’s hand.

"Hmmm...." He didn’t say anything. But for a moment he felt something like a faint vibration. Quick then slowly gone. As if that girl’s body was rejecting something that was trying to touch it.

He pulled it back slowly. His face was still calm, but this time more serious looking toward Olivia. Her face looked pale but strangely, her pulse seemed normal.

"...she’ll wake up." He finally said.

"Probably not much longer." Celine let out a relieved breath.

"Thank goodness..."

But Ophla didn’t move. Her eyes were still fixed on Olivia.

"...are you certain this is normal?" Her question was quiet. But sharp enough. That Physician went still. For a few moments... he didn’t answer. As if hesitating to answer Ophla’s question who was looking at him seriously.

Then,

"...no." One honest answer.

Short. And enough to make that room go quiet again. Celine looked at him, not believing.

"So what does it mean?" That Physician closed his kit slowly.

"...I’ve never seen a condition like this."

He stood up. But before stepping away, his gaze fell once more toward Olivia’s hand. For a moment... he almost lifted his hand again. As if wanting to make sure of something. But he stopped.

"...let her rest." That was all he advised them. His steps slowly walked out of that room. The door closed.

Click.

That room went quiet again after the Physician left.

Olivia was still lying there. Looked like she was sleeping.

But the atmosphere of that room felt... strange. As if something was "not right."

Ophla sat at the side of the bed.

"...Olivia." No answer. She leaned slightly, her fingers touching Olivia’s forehead. Cold. Colder than it should be.

Celine stood not far away.

"She’s still not awake, My Lady?"

Ophla didn’t answer.

Her eyes didn’t leave Olivia’s face.

Celine’s gaze was fixed toward that tightly closed door then went back toward Olivia.

They went quiet for a moment.

"Celine..." Ophla whispered quietly while turning her face toward Celine who looked slightly sad.

"Yes, My Lady" she answered quietly. Almost inaudible.

"Do you think... throughout our time together with Olivia... haven’t you noticed that she sometimes knows when to stop.." she said quietly. While crossing her arms. Celine just stayed quiet. Not saying anything but she knew, and had known longer about Olivia.

Then slowly she nodded. Ophla only glanced at Celine then sat back down. She covered her face slowly. While looking at her room ceiling.

"What do you think?" said Ophla. The end of her voice was heard trembling. As if emotional.

Celine only shook her head.

"I’m not sure either, My Lady" she said while lowering her head toward that cold floor. Then walked to the side of the bed opposite Ophla.

"Wake up quickly..." she whispered.

But Ophla just stayed quiet, then something crossed her mind. Her eyes fell toward the gown that was placed on top of that table. Not moving. But for some reason she felt she no longer wanted to touch it.

Her eyes were still fixed on that gown. For a moment she remembered the scene before this. Before Olivia fainted.

"Celine, I don’t think I want to use that gown" she said quietly. As if that outfit was the cause.

Celine furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean, My Lady?.." Celine asked while blinking looking at Ophla. Ophla didn’t answer but she was certain something had happened.

She then stepped toward that gown. Looking sharply at it. Celine then walked toward Ophla. Her face looked serious.

"What if it was just a coincidence?.." said Celine. Then slowly approached that gown. Intending to hold it to make sure but she was stopped by Ophla.

"Celine.... don’t!" Ophla’s voice was sharp. Celine startled.

And at that same moment, Olivia woke up. She had actually been awake for a while. Just not moving and not opening her eyes. Because she knew... that thing wasn’t just a gown.

There was something inside it which was the thread. And now... Celine had already touched it. Olivia could feel something entering. Not into the room but into Celine.

"...Noooo..." She whispered quietly in her heart, if she waited any longer... that thread would grip and tie itself to Celine’s hand. And when it was full... it would be harder for her to save Celine.

Her eyes opened wide.

"Celine..."

Celine stood stiff. Her eyes were empty looking toward that room floor.

"...My Lady..."

Ophla kept holding her hand.

"Celine, stop!"

But Olivia had already gotten up. She sat up slowly.

Her eyes went straight to Celine. And she could see it clearly.

That thread was thin. Completely invisible to anyone else. But for Olivia it was different.

That thread was trying to climb up from where Celine’s hand had touched it.

"...you were a little too slow..." she whispered quietly.

Her hand moved toward Celine. As if pulling something that couldn’t be seen. But that thread was hard for Olivia to reach.

Aishh!!! No choice then!

"My Lady..."

Celine said quietly. Her body was breaking into a cold sweat.

Ophla panicked then shook Celine’s body that looked like something was using it.

"Celine!!..." Ophilia called with a worried face. Celine’s eye expression slowly became empty.

Pak pak pak.

"Step aside, My Lady," a voice was heard from behind her. The voice they had been waiting for to wake up.

"Olivia!!"

Then Olivia quickly grabbed Celine’s wrist. Slowly the sound of groaning was heard from that thread. And that thread snapped. But Olivia only pretended not to hear.

But what they didn’t know, Olivia’s eardrums almost burst hearing that scream. Then that thread finally disappeared, gone just like that.

Celine stopped. Her eyes started blinking slowly.

"...I..." She held her head.

"...what happened...." Ophilia froze.

"...Olivia?"

Olivia didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were still on Celine.

"..fuhh....almost taken."

She whispered quietly.