Alessia jolted awake, her entire body covered in beads of sweat as she lay in bed, panting. Suddenly, her head started to ring and she felt bile claw at her throat as a wave of nausea washed over her.
She jumped out from bed and ran into the bathroom, doubling over and emptying her stomach into the toilet.
"Urgh…" She groaned, wiping her mouth with a trembling hand. "It's that horrible dream again…"
She chewed on her bottom lip. 'Why… why does he keep haunting me even in my dreams? It's already been three years since I last saw him…'
Alessia sat back and leaned against the wall, letting out a breath. She stared up at the ugly ceiling of the bathroom blankly.
'Is this some kind of warning?' She wondered, massaging her temple.
Letting out a dejected sigh, she muttered, "I'm pathetic… I wish I could just disappear..."
Then she wouldn't have to think complicated thoughts and Kiera would be free to do as she liked. Alessia hugged her knees and buried her head into the crook.
'What does Dervan really want from me…?' She scoffed. 'It doesn't even matter… I'm far too cowardly. Maybe it will be better to just go to jail…'
After a while, she stood up and slowly made her way to the bathroom sink. She splashed water on her face and took a towel to wipe when she remembered the bandaged bruise on her cheek.
'Urgh… I've made it wet. I'll have to change it.' Alessia thought as she touched it gently, her fingers abruptly freezing at the top of it. Then she put a little more pressure on the bandage after a second.
Her eyes widened. 'W–wait a minute… It… it doesn't hurt… why?'
Without a second thought, she sharply peeled off the bandage from her skin. The way she stared at her reflection was as if she had seen a ghost.
Alessia let out a shocked scream but she swiftly slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound as she backed away from the mirror.
Her hand trembled as she felt the smooth skin of her cheek. 'My… my bruise… it's… it's gone! How?!'
Alessia leaned against a wall to steady herself as her head spinned. She placed a pale hand on her forehead. "That's impossible…" She mumbled. "A bruise like that can't… can't just heal in a matter of hours! The pain was still there up till when I slept last night!"
So… so just what is this?!
If she hadn't just woken up from a nightmare worse than this, she would have thought she was dreaming.
Alessia wrapped shaky hands around herself. 'Was it… the vampire?' It had to be! There was no other reasonable explanation. But what exactly did it do to her?
As far as she could remember, it didn't even lay a hand on her...
"Lessie?" Someone called softly, jolting her out of her panic.
She sharply turned her head to see a slightly drowsy Kiera standing by the door of the small toilet. "Are you alright? I heard you scream…"
Alessia quickly used a hand to cover her previously bruised cheek. "I'm… I'm fine. I just… had a nightmare."
Kiera raised a brow. "And you're screaming about it when you're already awake?"
Alessia swallowed. "It's complicated…"
Kiera frowned at her flimsy excuse and Alessia could only force a smile to reassure her. "I'm fine, really. I just need a little time to myself. I'll… join you when I'm ready."
Kiera stood at the door for a few more seconds before she reluctantly nodded and left, shutting the door behind her.
Alessia let out a sigh of relief and touched her cheek once again, a shiver going down her spine at the smooth and painless sensation.
The bruise was really gone, as if it was never there in the first place.
She searched the nearest drawer for a bandage and plastered it on her cheek. She couldn't risk Kiera finding out that she had healed overnight. Even if it was her, there was no way the thought of her being strange wouldn't cross Kiera's mind.
And she didn't want that.
When she was sure that everything was in order and that she wasn't shaking so much anymore, she stepped out of the bathroom and went to join her friend on the bed.
Kiera watched her for a long time, making Alessia feel a little uncomfortable. "What?"
Before Kiera could answer, both of their phones which were lying on the bed buzzed, stealing both of their attention.
Alessia's face took on a wary look when she saw the text on her phone was from Vince. She would have hurled it across the room if she had any money to get a new one but she dared to open the message first.
'The whole team needs to come together now. We have something to discuss.'
Alessia's throat nearly closed up as she read the message over and over again. Her eyes nearly glazed over.
"I think it's a new mission…' Kiera voiced irritatingly, making Alessia's chest tighten. "Why now of all times?"
...
Kiera let out a big yawn, her hand stretching past Alessia's head, who was sitting directly beside her on the bus.
"Urgh!" She groaned, scratching the back of her head. "It hasn't even been a week since our last mission, what now?!"
Alessia could only smile as she looked out the window, the sun was already starting to rise. "It's sudden." She said as fidgeted with her nails. "I wonder what it could be."
She had to admit, she had a bad feeling about this sudden meeting, but she couldn't tell Kiera that. It would start a topic she didn't want to talk about.
"Hey." Kiera called softly, prompting Alessia's gaze on her. "You know you can't tell the rest of the team about what happened last night, right?"
Alessia looked taken aback for a few seconds before she broke into a baffled smile. "Come on, Kiera, I'm not stupid."
Kiera smiled lightly and nodded. "I know you're not." She agreed and Alessia felt like she was talking about something else.
She let out a long sigh.
"You're still so young, you know." Kiera told her. "You can't be sighing like an old lady."
Alessia pursed her lips. "I… Just have a lot on my mind."
Kiera let out a breath, meeting her gaze and clasping her hand softly. "Alessia, you'll be fine."
'Not anytime soon that's for sure.' Alessia thought dejectedly. Soon enough, they had already arrived at their stop.
"Let's go meet Vince, shall we?" Kiera smirked as she jumped off the bus, Alessia followed immediately after. "I believe I have a bone to pick with him."
Alessia stiffened suddenly at Kiera's words and her eyes widened. 'Oh no…'