Ch 14.1 - A State of Unrest

Chloe’s eyelids fluttered open.

Her vision swam in and out of focus. Above her hung an old timber ceiling, dimly lit by orange candlelight leaking through the room. The scent of herbs and damp cloth lingered in the air.

For a moment, her thoughts felt sluggish.

Where…? A dull ache pulsed through her skull.
Then, memory crashed into her.

The courtyard. The rat beastmen. Wallus.
The Pavilion sisters injured. The pavilion structure crumbling from the aftermath.

Chloe jerked upright.

Pain exploded through her head instantly. “Ah—!”

The room spun violently. She grabbed her forehead and felt rough bandages wrapped around it. A blanket slid from her shoulders as dizziness forced her to hunch over.

“Chloe!”
Two familiar voices rang out at once.

She blinked through blurry eyes and saw Puru and Dem seated beside the bed.
Relief flooded both their faces.

“Don’t move so suddenly,” Puru said quickly, reaching toward her. “You need rest.”

“Puru… Dem…” Chloe muttered weakly. “What are you two doing here?”

She tried to shift again, but another wave of pain struck her temples.
“My head hurts…”

“Exactly,” Dem said sharply.

She planted a hand on Chloe’s shoulder and pushed her gently but firmly back against the pillow.

“You forced yourself way too hard.” Dem frowned. “Everyone heard what happened out there.”

Puru’s eyes had already become watery.
“You fought those monsters even after getting injured,” she sniffed. “You silly girl…”

Chloe stared at them blankly. “What… happened after that?”

“You collapsed,” Dem replied. “What did you think would happen?”

Puru suddenly puffed her cheeks angrily.
“And why were you even doing that in the first place?” she blurted out. “Throwing yourself into danger like some hero!”

Dem crossed her arms.
“You don’t even have blessings,” she muttered. “You’re just a frail human. You could’ve died.”

Chloe lowered her gaze quietly.
Puru’s eyes drifted toward Chloe’s black tunic resting nearby.

“And then we find out you were one of the church people this whole time—”

“Puru.” Dem’s glare snapped toward her instantly.
“We agreed not to bring that up.”

Puru stiffened.

Chloe’s fingers tightened slightly around the bedsheet.
“…I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to hide it.”

The guilt in her voice made Dem click her tongue in annoyance.

“See?” Dem shot Puru another glare. “That’s exactly why I told you not to say anything.”

Puru panicked immediately.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that!” she said hurriedly, waving both hands. “It’s just… everyone else was talking about it too and I just—”

“Zip it.”

Dem sliced a finger across her lips.
Puru immediately snapped her mouth shut.

Chloe reached out weakly and grabbed Dem’s wrist.
“What happened after that?” she asked hurriedly. “Aisha and the others… that violent rat… and Wallus?”

Puru’s expression softened. She gently brushed Chloe’s messy hair away from her forehead.
“Relax. Everyone’s safe now.”

“The guild reinforcements arrived just in time,” Dem added, leaning back in her chair. “Those Pavilion sisters would’ve been done for otherwise.”

A grin slowly spread across her face.
“And the best part?” She cracked her knuckles. “They flattened Wallus and Nosmos almost instantly.”

Puru nodded enthusiastically.
“They were dragged away in chains! By now, they’re probably already standing trial.”

Dem snorted. “Hopefully, the judge hangs both of them.”

The tension in Chloe’s shoulders eased slightly.
But only for a moment.

Her eyes widened again.
“Sheila!” she blurted out. “And the other girls—they were cursed!”

She tried to sit up again, panic creeping into her voice.

“They needed help—”
Dem pushed her back down with one hand.
“We know.”

Her tone softened slightly afterward.

“The town contacted the Black Fantasmal Guild.” Dem folded her arms.
“Apparently, they specialize in curses and spiritual afflictions.”

Puru nodded.
“They already took the girls for examination.”

“And curse removal,” Dem added. “So stop looking like someone died.”

A breath Chloe hadn’t realized she was holding finally escaped her lips.
“…Thank goodness.”

For the first time since waking up, her body relaxed against the pillow.

Dem studied her for a moment before smirking faintly.
“You know,” she said, “it’s still crazy that you figured out the girls were cursed in the first place.”

“And somehow managed to hold Wallus back too,” Puru added.

Her eyes drifted toward Chloe carefully.
“Guess your church background explains some things…”

Chloe smiled awkwardly and looked away.

“Dem!” Puru immediately protested. “You literally said not to bring it up!”

Dem blinked.
“Oh.” She scratched her cheek. “Right.”

Puru groaned into her hands.

“But still,” Dem continued, waving dismissively, “you saved a lot of people. Everyone in the guild knows it, too.”

She jabbed a finger toward Chloe.
“So your only job right now is to sleep.”

“And eat,” Puru added quickly.

Chloe looked between them again.
“But Aisha and the others…” she murmured. “They were hurt worse than me. Are they really okay?”

Dem’s eye twitched.
“Will you stop worrying about everyone except yourself for one minute?”

She grabbed the blanket and yanked it up to Chloe’s chin.

“Everyone’s alive because of you.” Dem pointed threateningly at her. “So now you’re going to lie there and recover.”

Puru nodded firmly beside her.
“We’ll bring you porridge later.”

Chloe blinked. “…Later?”

A bad feeling crept into her stomach.
“How long was I unconscious?”

Puru and Dem exchanged glances.

Then Dem answered casually,
“You’ve been asleep for two whole days.”

Chloe froze. “Two days—?”

“And if you ask one more question,” Dem warned, narrowing her eyes,
“I’m seriously going to gag you.”

Chloe stared at her for a second before letting out a weak laugh.
“…Okay.”

Her eyelids suddenly felt heavier than before.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m glad you two are safe, too.”

Puru’s expression melted instantly.
Dem clicked her tongue and looked away.

Chloe slowly closed her eyes again, exhaustion pulling her back under. The room grew quiet.

Puru smiled helplessly. “She really is a silly girl.”

Dem snorted softly. “…A troublesome one too.”