Mark stirred in bed, eyes fluttering open to find a dark, patterned ceiling. His brows furrowed, and he glanced to his right, wincing at the littlest stretch of light beaming through the closed curtains.

    Where am I?

    He squinted back up at the ceiling, wondering why its normal stipple patterns weren't there. This... was his home, right? He rubbed his eyes, flinching and whimpering at the pain shooting through his eyes.

    "Careful," came a soft voice to his left. Mark startled, still hazed, and glanced towards the sound, meeting the sight of a young woman stooped over him. Her face was round yet angled, her buzzed head and absence of brows accentuating the bright emeralds of her eyes.

    She leaned forward and gently pressed the warm rag on Mark's forehead. He flinched, a dread pooling in his stomach.

    That's right, he thought bitterly, and flashes of the forest blurred before his eyes. He winced at the mere thought, the back of his eyes pulsing as he remembered the sheer pain he felt before he blacked out. I'm back here.

    "Even though I healed you, your body still needs rest," said the woman. "Can you do that for me?"

    Mark closed his eyes, moving his fingers. He was grateful to find a blanket over his body, but as he gripped it, a pain shot up his wrists.

    "Ah—"

    "My name's Ether," said the woman as she leaned forward, gently pulling Mark's hands away from the blanket and settling them down on the bed. He glanced down, noting that they were wrapped with white bandages. A few splotches of blood soaked through the material.

His brows furrowed, and Ether smiled, pressing Mark's head back down into the soft pillow.

    "The trees you ran through are called Fanged Elders. They're ancient seeds enchanted by Evolveds to ward off humans from their sacred lands."

    Mark blinked, his eyes still sore and sensitive, and did his best to glance over at Ether.

    "Those houses," he said, voice weak and croaking. He was too tired to care how terrible he sounded. "Those weren't humans'."

    Ether shook her head. "You entered an Evolved town."

    Mark swallowed, and he grimaced, his throat scratchy and burning.

    "Do... do you have any water?" he managed out. Ether nodded, reaching behind her and holding up a glass of water with a straw towards him. She carefully supported his head from behind so he could reach the glass, and Mark sipped, sighing as the cool liquid soothed his throat.

    "Thanks," he breathed.

    Saying thank you to the people who kidnapped you, he thought sourly. How ironic.

    He glanced around the room, squinting, noting how familiar it looked. A king bed with soft, rich sheets, a drawer to the right, and a large desk pressed against the far corner of the room.

    His heart fluttered.

    This was Dark's room.

    He closed his eyes, carefully lacing his fingers together over his stomach. "Where's Dark?" he asked softly. The sheets rustled beside him as Ether shifted in her spot.

    "He's in the Other Side right now," she said. When Mark's brows furrowed, she explained. "It's what we call the Evolved City. Edwards was banished from it many years ago."

    Mark hummed, and when he opened his eyes, Ether's hands hovered over his body, a faint green pulsing from her fingertips. He startled, and Ether only smiled.

    "I'm not doing anything," she said. "Just checking if I missed anything."

    Mark relaxed, and he sighed, staring at the patterned ceiling again. It sloped so unnecessarily high, its finish shining and glittering despite its dark, marble surface.

    "Why's he there?" he asked.

    I expected to wake up to his face instead, he found himself thinking.

    Ether hummed, hesitating to answer. She glanced at Mark and sighed, reluctant to converse with him in his state, but knew she had to obey the Tear Stealer's orders.

    "Do not keep anything from Mark," rang his words in her head, crisp and authoritative.

    "He's talking with Antinstine," she admitted quietly. "He's going to ask for another favor."

    Mark's brows furrowed. "Hasn't he learned?" he managed out.

    Ether rose a shaved brow, and Mark continued weakly. "All I know is that he made a favor to talk to a foreseer... and in turn, had to give one of his people to Antinstine." 

He glanced at Ether the best he could, eyes twitching at the light pooling from her hands. "Wouldn't Anti ask for something worse this time?" he muttered.

    Ether's eyes glimmered, and her powers wavered for a moment as she lapsed into thought. "I'm not sure," she said. "There's not much more he can take."

    When Mark rose a brow, she continued.

    "When Antinstine forced Edwards out of his home, he forced anyone who was on his side out, too." Her eyes glimmered. "Many people didn't want to lose their homes or the benefit of the city, so they switched sides. Some even joined Antinstine in his ranks if they were good enough."

    Mark blinked, unable to help but wonder why Ether was so kind and open to him.

    "The Evolveds here, in this house... we aren't powerful," she said. "Sure, we're High Evolveds, but our powers don't even match the Evolveds living in the City. You could say we're at the bottom of our class."

    She pulled her hands away, and they stopped glowing, reaching over to take the rag off of Mark's forehead. She reached behind her and grabbed a new one, lightly steaming, and folded it over his forehead.

    "There's only nine of us. Shunned from the rest of the Evolved world because we're on Edwards' side," said Ether quietly. "If, or when, you go to Antinstine's mansion, you will see just how sparse we are."

    "So..." muttered Mark. "Dark is the weaker of the two."

    Ether straightened herself at his words, green eyes glimmering. "Please, don't speak ill of him," she said. "He does the best for us."

    "I guess," said Mark, staring at the ceiling again. He gave a sad chuckle, wincing at the pain it caused in his chest. "Then again... he's giving me away instead of one of you guys. If that says anything."

    "It says a lot," said Ether with a faint tone of admiration. "He does care for humans, you know. He means no harm against you."

    Mark scoffed. "Yeah, right," he mumbled. He shook his head, grumbling at the soreness in his neck. "It's alright... I'll get over it. Humans have short lives anyways." He glanced over at Ether with a sour smile. "My expiration date's just getting cut sooner."

    Ether gave a small frown at that but said nothing else. Mark shifted in place, and a streak of pain ran up his leg. He hissed, teeth bared.

    "If—if you healed me," he said, "why am I still in pain?"

    Ether chuckled, pressing his leg back down into the bed.

"I merely mend skin and bone back together," she said. "You'll still feel the pain and soreness as if you still have your wounds. I'm able to dampen the intensity of the pain, though."

Mark winced. "Could you do that now?" he hesitantly asked, and Ether laughed.

"I already did," she said. "I've been dampening your pain every day."

He blinked, turning his head towards her. "Every day?"

Ether tilted her head, and Mark swallowed, throat still dry. A dread pooled in Mark's stomach as she merely blinked at him.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, and Ether's eyes glimmered. She bowed her head in the slightest.

"Three days," she said. "You really exerted your body that night."

Mark's eyes widened, but he winced, his eyes stinging. "There's no way," he muttered under his breath.

"Fanged Elders are venomous to humans," said Ether. "And..."

Mark rose a brow, and Ether glanced aside. "And what?"

Ether sighed, her lips twitching. "Well... Evolveds are lucky to recover from the Tear Stealer's abilities within a day. High Evolveds—minimum an hour."

Mark swallowed, his eyes widening again, but he winced and shut them again. "I-Is that..." Dread pooled in his stomach, and his throat tightened. "Is that why my eyes hurt?"

Ether said nothing, but it was answer enough. Mark drew into himself, eyes stinging from both the pain and the threat of tears. He stared at the ceiling, swallowing thickly.

"Dark..." He took a deep, shuddering breath, cursing himself as his lip quivered, "Dark used his abilities on me?" he whispered, voice cracking and wavering. Ether swallowed, closing her eyes.

"If you'd gone any farther, you'd have been killed by Evolveds," she whispered.

Mark's thoughts seemed to quiet, and all he could think about was the utter pain that coursed through his body that night—the pain that Dark caused him. His vision grew blurry, and he cursed to himself, resisting the urge to wipe his eyes.

You big cry baby, he scolded himself.

"Why... why are you telling me all this, anyway?" said Mark, still in a daze of disbelief. He bit his lip to keep it from quivering, and Ether sighed and leaned forward, pressing a soft cloth to the corners of Mark's eyes. He sniffed, fingers twitching, and turned his head away in the slightest. "This whole time I've been here, I've learned nothing. But—just talking to you, I—you're telling me so much—"

Ether placed a hand over Mark's, gazing at him. Mark swallowed and closed his eyes, Ether's gaze gentle on his skin.

"After we brought you back here," said Ether carefully, "Edwards told us to be honest with you from here on out."

Ether paused. "That night, I got a glimpse of his vulnerability. Something he doesn't display often, even to us—his own family." She swallowed, and in the corner of her eye, Mark opened his eyes again, gazing at her through tired eyes.

"Something changed in him then."

Mark hummed, frowning. Ether sighed and gently pressed on the rag over Mark's forehead.

"You may not believe it," she said. "But I think you've changed how he views humans."

Mark didn't, but the words still made a warmth blossom in his chest. He sighed, carefully gazing at Ether.

"When... When I wake up again," said Mark, his words sounding distant to him, "can you make sure Dark doesn't visit me?"

Ether's eyes widened in the slightest, shaved brows furrowed.

"I... Even though he's changed—or whatever—like you said..." He swallowed. "I still need time to accept what he did to me."

Ether hummed, nodding, a smile forming on her lips. "Humans are so odd," she said with admiration, eyes crinkling at the edges. "Rather than abilities, you focus on emotion."

Mark glared at her, and she only laughed. "I'm only observing," she said. "We have much to learn from each other—humans and Evolveds alike."

She gently patted Mark's arm, palms soft. "I won't let him visit you for now. That's a promise."

Mark gave a weary smile, and something tingled in his chest. She's so nice, he thought. Maybe all healers are like that...?

"Before I go, do you need anything else?"

Mark glanced at the bedside drawer. "Ahm... can the water be closer?"

Ether smiled and nodded, sliding the glass of water closer and in reach. She also placed a bell beside Mark's hands, wrapping a ribbon around his wrist so the bell stayed in his reach.

"If you need anything, ring the bell. I'll hear it no matter where I am."

Mark glanced at its greenish surface and nodded. It must be enchanted.

"Rest well," said Ether, and she removed the rag to place her hand on Mark's forehead. A soothing energy pooled through his head, and suddenly, he realized he had fallen asleep.

Ether smiled down at him, removing her hand and leaving the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

Thank you so much for reading!

What are your thoughts on today's chapter? 👀

Have a wonderful day, and stay safe out there!

-Kass xoxo