章 20: Chapter 20 - Rivals?
She got back into the carriage and instructed the carriage driver to return to the Magical Forest.
As they traveled the path towards Riyugi and Banki's location, she couldn't get Riyugi and Banki's injured bodies out of her mind.
She couldn't just leave them in such a state. When she arrived, she found Riyugi and Derum fighting, Riyugi's wounds had multiplied, and it pained her to see his body covered in cuts, blood, and bruises.
And there on the side was Banki, unconscious. Banki had also fought Derum to help Riyugi, but he was too weak, so after only a few attacks, he lost consciousness.
Derum and Riyugi were still fighting. Riyugi fell to the ground, and Derum immediately approached to attack him again using his martial arts skills.
But before he could hurt Riyugi again, Yana quickly ran and stood in front of Riyugi. Derum was surprised by her arrival and stopped.
"Please, stop!" Yana shouted.
"What are you doing here?" Derum asked in shock.
"I came back for them. Please stop, don't hurt them anymore." Yana pleaded. Riyugi couldn't believe that Yana had returned.
"You don't understand the purpose of these beings. Get out of the way and let me finish him." Derum said angrily to Yana.
"Maybe you're right. I don't know their purpose or what they need from me. But I know they are good beings, and no one has the right to judge and end their lives." Yana said tearfully. She still didn't move from her spot.
Derum was stunned by what Yana said.
"Nonsense!" Derum shouted.
"If you're going to finish him, start with me!" Yana shouted bravely.
Both Derum and Riyugi were shocked. Despite his weakness, Riyugi forced himself to stand from where he had fallen.
When he stood, he grabbed Yana by the arm and pulled her behind him, surprising her. Now Riyugi faced Derum.
"F-face me. This woman's life is more important than mine." Riyugi said furiously, staring sharply at Derum.
"I WON'T LET ANYONE HURT HER!" Riyugi shouted, his voice echoing through the forest.
Yana's eyes widened in shock at what she heard.
"Her life is important for your selfish purposes." Derum said angrily, then punched Riyugi hard in the stomach, causing him to fly back and fall to the ground.
"Riyugi!" Yana shouted, running towards Riyugi. He had lost consciousness.
"Don't worry, he's still alive. I didn't kill him. Let's go." Derum said.
"No... I can't leave them like this." Yana said tearfully.
"I'll call a healer, just promise you won't cooperate with these Ronoru anymore." Derum said. Yana couldn't answer immediately.
"I'm telling you this for your own good. When you know their purpose, you'll despise them too." Derum said again. Yana reluctantly agreed, unable to think straight. All she wanted was for Riyugi and Banki to be healed.
Derum left to call a healer, riding the carriage that had brought Yana to the Magical Forest. Yana stayed behind, watching over Riyugi and Banki.
Yana could hardly look at Riyugi because of his many wounds. She felt deep sympathy for him and for Banki. She didn't know their purpose, but in the short time she had been with them, she felt in her heart that they were good beings. She hoped she wasn't wrong.
After a few minutes, Derum returned with a Ronoru healer. Derum pretended to be a Ronoru, wearing a monster-like mask so he wouldn't be recognized as an Aruha.
This way, the Ronoru healer agreed to come with him. They loaded Riyugi and Banki, both unconscious, into the carriage and headed straight to the healer's house.
The two horses used by Riyugi had died, killed by the monstrous plants.
When they arrived at the healer's house, Riyugi and Banki were immediately attended to.
"Come on, let's go back." Derum said. But Yana just looked at Riyugi and Banki being treated.
"They'll be fine. You don't need to worry." Derum said. Yana just nodded, and they left, heading back to where Qrolo was.
Meanwhile... Qrolo had woken up from his unconsciousness and his chest wound had been treated. The wound came from his back and pierced through to his chest.
When Qrolo woke up, Lexa, who had been sitting by his bed, watching over him, was overjoyed.
Meanwhile, Kenro was with the Aruha healer, gathering more medicinal herbs for Qrolo in a nearby forest.
"Y-Yana? Where is Yana?" Qrolo asked immediately upon regaining consciousness.
"Yana left." Lexa said.
"What? Where did she go?" Qrolo asked worriedly.
"She went back to the Magical Forest." Lexa replied.
"Why did she go back there? This can't be, I need to go to her." Qrolo said frantically, trying to get up, but Lexa stopped him.
"You're not well yet, don't push yourself." Lexa said.
"Why didn't you stop her?" Qrolo said angrily.
"I tried to stop her, but she said she needed to go back." Lexa explained.
Qrolo was about to insist on getting up when he saw Yana at the door. She had arrived with Derum. Yana immediately approached Qrolo.
"Why did you go back there?" Qrolo asked angrily.
"I couldn't leave them wounded." Yana replied, which irritated Qrolo even more.
"You don't understand those beings, they have nothing but evil intentions." Qrolo said angrily.
"I'm sorry." Yana replied. Soon, Kenro and the healer arrived, while Lexa and Yana stepped outside to talk. Qrolo still didn't know that Yana and Lexa were friends.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Lexa." Yana said.
She hugged her. She hadn't paid much attention to Lexa earlier because of the events.
"Lexa, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry... you got dragged into this because of me, I'm sorry." Yana said, crying, referring to Lexa's coma from saving her at the mall.
Lexa didn't understand what Yana was talking about because she still didn't remember the accident and saving Yana, which led to her coma and arrival in the dream world.
"Why are you apologizing to me?" Lexa asked, puzzled, as she pulled away from Yana's embrace. Yana was confused by Lexa's reaction.
"Y-you don't remember anything?" Yana asked.
"Remember what?" Lexa asked, confused.
Yana was shocked to learn that Lexa didn't remember what had happened. She probably didn't know she was in a coma in the real world, her body lying in the hospital.
Yana told her the whole truth. She didn't want to keep secrets from her friend. She explained how Lexa had saved her at the mall and ended up in a coma.
"Lexa, I'm sorry, it's all my fault." Yana said, unable to hold back her tears.
"Don't cry, Yana, it's okay. The important thing is that I saved you. I'm happy." Lexa said, hugging Yana.
"I'm really sorry... I promise you, Lexa, as long as you're here in the dream world, I'll protect you." Yana said.
"It's okay, don't apologize anymore." Lexa said.
"That's why I'm still here in the dream world. Because my body is currently in a coma." Lexa said.
Lexa told Yana about her first arrival in the dream world and how Qrolo had saved her.
"I didn't realize Qrolo was the one you were talking about." Lexa said after recounting her first meeting and rescue by Qrolo.
"I didn't expect him to be the first one you'd meet here, but please don't tell him everything, okay? I'm embarrassed, Lexa, please?" Yana pleaded. Lexa agreed. Yana hugged her again because she missed her so much.
"Yana, what if I also like Qrolo, what will you do? Are you willing to stay away from him for me?" Lexa suddenly asked while Yana was hugging her. Yana was shocked by Lexa's question. She stopped hugging Lexa and looked into her eyes, which were also staring into hers.
Their eyes met. Yana didn't know what to say; her mind went blank, and she just continued looking into Lexa's eyes.
Yana was completely shocked by Lexa's unexpected question. Before she could speak, she felt her body slowly disappearing, which surprised Lexa.
"Y-Yana, what's happening to you?"
Lexa asked in astonishment, trying to touch Yana but failing as she vanished.
Yana couldn't hear what Lexa was saying because she had completely disappeared. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. Moments later, a nurse entered the room.
"What happened? Why am I here?"
Yana asked the nurse, confused about how she ended up in the hospital.
"Two men brought you here because you had a very high fever." the nurse replied. Yana tried to recall what had happened until she remembered everything.
"It's time to take your medicine." said the nurse.
"I'm okay now." Yana responded.
"You need to take this to prevent your fever from returning." the nurse insisted.
Yana complied with the nurse's instructions. Afterward, the nurse left, advising her to get some rest.
As Yana lay in bed, she kept hearing Lexa's question inside her mind, one she didn't know how to answer. She couldn't believe it.
She wondered if Lexa would also like Qrolo. Deep down, Yana knew she liked Qrolo, but she didn't know if he felt the same way about her.
She didn't want to assume anything from his kindness towards her and risk getting hurt. Yet, her heart ached at the thought that Lexa might truly like Qrolo, as she didn't want to compete with her best friend and become rivals.
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