As I regained consciousness, I found myself in another bed in the same room. Matt's bed stood empty, causing a surge of concern to rush through me. A doctor was present, and he turned his attention towards me as he noticed my awakening.

"You gave us quite a scare, miss!" he remarked, raising an eyebrow.

He appeared to be a young man, possibly still in the midst of his medical studies, not yet a fully-fledged doctor. I gazed into his vibrant blue eyes and anxiously inquired,

"Where is Matt?"

"He is likely already in the operating room," he responded, his voice tinged with a hint of surprise. "Remarkably, he showed enough improvement to be considered for surgery. Let's hope he pulls through until the end."

The doctor's attention shifted back to me.

"So, young lady, when was the last time you ate?" he asked, catching me off guard with this question.

I took a momentary pause, my mind struggling to grasp and piece together the details as if it were operating in slow motion. It felt as though my thoughts were slogging through thick mud, making it difficult to gather my bearings and make sense of the situation.

"I don't remember exactly, but sometime yesterday," I replied, a bit uncertain about the accuracy of my answer.

He let out a sigh, concern evident in his voice.

"Are you sure? By the results, I would have guessed that you haven't eaten for at least a week or even longer. Either that or we're dealing with a severe disorder. We've been providing you nourishment intravenously, and you do seem to be responding positively, which suggests it may be the former scenario. I strongly recommend that you remain in the hospital, allowing us to conduct further tests to determine the underlying cause of your condition, especially if you consumed something recently."

Uh, oh, they must have already done some blood analysis. I shook my head.

"No, no, I'll be fine. Really. Is Hew here?" I asked, shifting the focus back to my friend.

The doctor nodded. "Your friend? Yes, he is here. Shall I allow him to come in?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."

"Alright," the doctor replied, then asked me again, "Are you still firm in your decision to not stay in the hospital?"

Once again, I shook my head, reaffirming my choice. The doctor let out a sigh.

"Alright, but I do urge you to let the transfusion complete. It will take another fifteen minutes. After that, you can have it removed or ask the medical assistant to assist you."

He stood up and exited the room, leaving me alone.

Moments later, Hew burst in, visibly agitated.

"How did you do it?" he blurted out as soon as he entered, closing the door behind him. His gaze met mine, and he couldn't help but remark, "Oh my, you look like a zombie!"

I chuckled at his unfiltered comment, but then, thinking how to answer his question, a chilling memory flashed in my mind—the encounter with the goblin in the dark depths of a train station. A shudder ran down my spine, and I instinctively grabbed hold of Hew's jacket, pulling him closer as he gasped in surprise.

Forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed, I whispered urgently in his ear, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Hew, you didn't see anything. It just happened, and it has nothing to do with me, okay?"

His eyes widened in astonishment, clearly intrigued by my cryptic words. I persisted, pleading with him.

"Please, Hew, promise me!"

He nodded, a mix of confusion and concern etched on his face.

"Okay... I promise... but what did you do? It seemed like you gave him something from your own life..."

I let out a sigh, finding myself once again being pulled into the realm of the paranormal. It was precisely as he had described it: I had indeed transferred some of my life force to Matt through a reverse succubus spell. But could I truly bring myself to say it out loud? And if I did, what would be the repercussions?

My mind remained foggy and slow, even as I gradually regained some strength.

One thing was certain, there was no way in hell I was going to say or let even the smallest hint about having gained any succubus heritage.

I was looking at my transfusion as I was gathering my thoughts when to my surprise, I suddenly spoke:

"Hew, maybe Matt just woke up when I touched him. The important thing is that he'll be operated on now and has a fighting chance! "- I shrugged and raised my eyes to look into his - "Look, it's already daylight outside. Once this is over, how about you treat me to breakfast? I'm absolutely famished!"

A hint of color returned to my cheeks, but it was merely the embarrassment that flushed my face at Cala's shameless attempt to get Hew to buy me food. To my surprise, Hew responded with a bright smile.

"Sure!"

Half an hour later, we found ourselves seated in a cozy little bistro that had opened its doors early. As I awaited my order, I caught the attention of the Asian cook and owner with a single glance, instantly transforming him into a doting servant. It was a surreal experience, and I found myself struggling to digest both my breakfast and the unexpected favoritism I seemed to have gained.

Hew observed my overflowing plate, then glanced at his own with a puzzled expression.

"Well, that's the power of women," he sighed, defeated. "I'm the one footing the bill, yet your portion is twice the size of mine and looks far more appetizing. Not that I'll go hungry with what I have, but it's just the optics of it..."

I shrugged, happily chewing away.

"I don't plan on leaving a single gram behind. It's absolutely delicious, and I'm ravenous. So, what did the doctor say about Matt's chances?"

"He said he has about a fifty percent chance of survival."

"Only fifty percent?" I exclaimed.

Desperation tinged my voice as I processed the news.

I had given Matt everything I could, yet it had only resulted in a fifty percent chance of survival? It felt like a crushing blow.

Hew disagreed with my pessimism.

"Just a few hours ago, they had given him no chance at all. They said only a miracle could save him. Lores, what you did was nothing short of a miracle! It's a significant improvement!"

I let out a heavy sigh, my spirits dampened.

"But it's still not enough..."

As I continued to eat, my enthusiasm waned. Even if I managed to recover further, would I be able to channel more health into Matt?

However, I doubted that it would work.

“Tell me, why did you disappear for a week? Did we do something wrong? Did Matt wrong you? Did we do something to offend you? You did not answer any of my calls!”

His questions interrupted my train of thought, and I paused for a moment before responding.

"No, Hew, it's not because of anything you or Matt did. I had my own personal issues to deal with. And as for not answering your calls, my phone was actually with Matt. He didn't mention it to you?"

I took a sip of my drink, trying to gather my thoughts. It wasn't the right time to delve into my own troubles, especially with Matt's critical condition still weighing on my mind.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

He chewed thoughtfully on his breakfast for a moment before responding. "Well, he did mention something about waiting for you to contact us, but his mother informed us yesterday evening that you hadn't requested to meet. Why not?"

Feeling a slight headache forming, I instinctively pressed my left hand against the base of my nose, finding some relief in the pressure. Resting on my elbow, I tried to clear my thoughts. The increased blood circulation seemed to help.

The animosity between Matt's mother and me was insignificant and trivial. Even if I could not reproach her anything directly, I had the feeling that she was not really fond of me. There was something false in her acting. I let out a sigh, deciding to ignore that and be honest with Hew.

"Hew, I wasn't entirely sure if I truly belonged to your group; that's why I didn't ask directly. Can you please clarify once again, am I really your group's singer?"

He raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my response.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired, his surprise evident in his expression.

I let out a snort of frustration.

"Of course, something is wrong. Just answer the question, please," I urged him.

Hew shrugged nonchalantly.

"Of course, you're our singer. Matt has a decent voice, but he can't compare to you. Why are you asking?"

I didn't immediately respond to his question, instead pressing further. "And all those memories of us meeting in Matt's garden, then going to your cabin in the woods and being there with Mike and Tom... Are those memories accurate?"

He remained silent, his eyes focusing as he watched me. After a moment, he nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, those memories are accurate," he admitted. Unable to contain his curiosity, he couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"

My breathing quickened as a mix of confusion and relief washed over me. Could it be that all those memories were indeed real? Or was I just convincing myself of their authenticity?

"Is any of this even real? Are you real, Hew?" I pondered aloud, my voice filled with uncertainty.

Leaning closer, Hew reached across the table and gave my arm a quick pinch.

"Ay!" I couldn't help but let out a surprised yelp.

"Was that enough to confirm?" he eagerly asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

I snorted, rubbing my arm where he had pinched me.

"Damn, that's going to leave a bruise, but thanks," I replied, a mixture of annoyance and gratitude in my voice.

“Oh, fuck. And I told Lola that I was not the singer...”

He raised a brow.

“That's what bothers you?”

I sighed and looked at him as we both laughed.

"Was the fact that you could now help heal Matt, was that the reason to doubt your mind? But..." - he asked.

"Not just that. There are other things... strange things that have been happening." I replied, releasing a heavy sigh.

"But that was amazing!" - Hew exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement. - "Why do you react like it was a bad thing?"

I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my racing heart. He seemed to confirm that much of what I had experienced was real. But it also meant confronting the possibility that my recent encounter with the goblin witchdoctor and my past as a casting witch were also true. The weight of it all was overwhelming.

He regarded me with a mix of concern and caution.

"You seem like you're about to hyperventilate any moment. Take it easy, Lores. Stay calm."

I locked my gaze with Hew's green eyes, momentarily pushing aside the old adage about not trusting guys with green eyes. I needed his reassurance, his perspective. The weight of uncertainty was crushing me, and I couldn't bear it any longer.

"Hew, this whole witchcraft thing has thrown me off balance," I confessed, my voice filled with uncertainty. "I ended doubting my own sanity. I thought I was losing my mind. Some of the things I've witnessed... they defy logic. I'm struggling to make sense of it all. Am I going crazy, Hew? Are these just figments of my imagination?"

His eyes widened, and he seemed eager to respond, but I raised my hand to halt him, urging him to listen.

"Remember those viral internet feeds we stumbled upon, showing the wounded at Saint-Anna Hospital?" I asked, hoping for a positive affirmation.

He nodded, and I continued, happy that that part of the memory was confirmed.

"I went there to heal them. But that cannot be true, as that was not real, do you understand me? I imagined that I was there and healed all those people!”

There, I said it!

I was eagerly watching his reaction and saw his eyes widening in shock.

"That was you?" he whispered, glancing around cautiously before continuing. "One of my cousins was there, witnessing the healing. He told me that it was real. He was only involved in transporting the wounded, but he saw it happen. Everyone who witnessed it was taken to Hammingway Airfield. They're being held there, essentially imprisoned. My cousin managed to avoid it, claiming ignorance of the truth. He saw it from the outside and was deeply shaken, but he wisely chose not to mention it in his reports. He's afraid of being apprehended like the others. No one knows what they're planning to do with those people, but the story was fiercely suppressed."

My heart pounded in my chest as the magnitude of the revelation sank in. I was left speechless for a moment, then mustered the words that echoed my disbelief.

"So, you're saying... it was real?"

He watched me, his expression a mix of concern and confusion.

"But... if you healed those people before, why can't you do it now? Is it because you're afraid? Can't you at least try to help Matt, to give him a better chance at survival? Does it always consume you like this?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and hope.

I sighed heavily, my shoulders slumping. This was the worst possible scenario, and I dreaded having to admit it.

"I can't do it anymore," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Listen to this and tell me if this story is true."

I sipped from my coffee cup and continued.

"They gave me something to drink, and then I saw myself become an old hag. A hundred years old hag! I could barely move, and a bunch of orcs attacked me. After I escaped from that place, I landed in a world filled with mythical beings, like harpies. I thought I was losing my sanity. All I wanted was to return to my normal life, to be a regular girl again. And somehow, that wish came true. I woke up in my bed yesterday morning, and ever since then, I haven't been able to do anything. No magic, no witchcraft. Nothing. I'm just plain, ordinary Dolores once again, just as I had wished to be. What part of this story is real? Now you understand my problem, but the fact remains, I cannot heal anymore."

A heavy silence settled between us as my words hung in the air, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

The weight of the consequences bore down on me, engulfing me in a wave of overwhelming emotions.

But amidst the tumult, there was a glimmer of relief. I repeated it to myself like a mantra: I wasn't crazy. I had never been crazy.

The memories of healing those people were real, and I clung to that truth with fervor.

As for the harpies and the fantastical world, they seemed to be twisted manifestations brought forth by the drugs they must have administered to manipulate me. It must have been a bizarre figment of my imagination, an aberration amidst the reality of my actions.

Somehow, I had managed to escape their clutches.

"You cannot do anything anymore?" - he finally questioned.

I shook my head. We were looking at each other in silence, trying to digest what we had just learned. He was breathing hard.

“But what was it that you just did before with Matt? Can't you repeat that?"

There was hope in his eyes.

Repeat that? Succubi-kill somebody?

I took a deep breath and shook my head.

"That was something else. Some kind of a one-off trick, like sharing my life force or something like that. I'm afraid that was all I could do.”

“Can't you give him some of my life force then?” - he wondered.

I huffed and rolled my eyes.

“No”

There was no way I would even think of absorbing his life force. Good that he does not know what he is talking about. Some things better stay unexplained.

At least I had clarified the fact that I was not crazy.

“Can I ask you something? Would you honestly tell me when and if I am acting like a crazy person?”

“You mean like hiding into the broom closet and not wanting to come out for the performance?”

I snorted and gave him the evil eye.

“No, that was perfectly normal!”

He grinned.

“Really? If you say so!”

I was a bit aghast but also thankful for him that he could still make a joke.

I took another deep breath.

Hew started to eat again, and I followed suit but with less enthusiasm.

"As soon as we're finished here, I plan to go back and wait for the results at the hospital," he said, his green eyes meeting mine. "Would you stay with me? All I can do is hope and pray."

I let out a tired sigh, the exhaustion weighing on me.

"I've been awake since yesterday morning, and my mind is overwhelmed. I need some rest to process everything. But I promise I'll come back. Before you return to the hospital, could you please do me one more favor? Can you drive me home?"

"Don't give me that look, Lores; I'll do it regardless!"

Strangely I felt that Cala was not happy with me. Why that?