Noise… muffled noise was the first thing she heard.
Shani groaned softly as she slowly opened her heavy lids.
Her vision blurred and shifted, causing nausea to rise in her throat. The floor beneath her felt cool against her skin. She pushed herself onto trembling hands but immediately flinched as a sharp pain radiated behind her eye. A small gasp escaped her before she slowly lowered herself back onto the floor once more.
She just needed to rest a little longer.
She stared blankly at the dark floor before finally turning her attention to the rest of the room. There was no light. The entire space was swallowed in darkness, which, in that moment, felt like a relief.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt as though she were forgetting something, but thinking hurt.
So she rested her cheek against the cool floor and gave up trying.
She lay there for what could have been minutes or hours. It was impossible to tell time in such darkness. Eventually, the pounding in her head eased enough for her to try sitting up again.
This time she managed to rise onto her knees.
The headache had dulled, but the room immediately began to spin around her. One hand flew to her head as she squeezed her eyes shut until the dizziness slowly steadied.
Her breathing came raggedly, but at least the spinning stopped.
Then the noise outside the room began growing louder and louder.
Shani closed her eyes, trying to focus on the muffled sounds. At first everything blended together. Voices shouting. Doors slamming. Hurried footsteps echoing through the halls.
Then a familiar name finally broke through the chaos.
Shani.
She froze.
Were they looking for her?
As if in answer, the door burst open.
Light flooded the room, blinding her for a moment. When her vision finally adjusted, she saw Jaziel standing in the doorway, chest rising and falling heavily, sweat clinging to his skin. Relief flooded his expression the moment he saw her.
“Shani!”
He dropped to his knees and immediately pulled her into a tight embrace.
Shani stiffened, her thoughts still struggling to catch up.
Jaziel quickly pulled back, his hands moving over her arms and shoulders as he checked her over carefully.
“Are you hurt?” he asked urgently.
“No…?” she answered uncertainly.
Nothing made sense. The noise. The panic. His face…
Then suddenly the memories came rushing back.
Nimue.
Blood.
Her empty eyes.
Hands grabbing her from behind—
“Uncle!”
Shani clutched tightly at his shirt.
“We have to save Nimue! She’s hurt… she’s bleeding!”
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
How could she have forgotten? What if Nimue didn’t survive because she woke up too late?
Jaziel blinked once.
“Nimue?”
“Yes! She was right there! She’s hurt, look!”
Shani twisted desperately, pointing toward where Nimue had been.
But there was nothing there.
Nimue’s body was gone. The blood was gone. No trace of what Shani remembered remained. The floor beneath her was spotless and untouched.
Her trembling hand slowly lowered.
“B… but she was right there…”
Jaziel released a quiet breath.
“It’s alright,” he said gently as he stroked her curls. “It must have been a nightmare.”
Shani shook her head violently.
“No! It wasn’t a dream! I saw her! Someone grabbed me!”
Her voice cracked as panic rose again, her throat burning painfully with every word.
The commotion drew nearby servants to the doorway. They looked relieved… but confused.
“Grabbed you?” Jaziel repeated softly, one brow lifting.
Shani nodded quickly, clutching at his shirt again.
“Oh…”
Understanding settled warmly across Jaziel’s face.
“You’re thinking about those girls from town.”
Shani froze. Her heart dropped.
“N… no…”
“It’s very common,” Jaziel continued calmly, “to have nightmares after something frightening like that.”
His voice remained steady and reassuring as he gently rubbed circles across the backs of her hands.
“When I was younger, I was injured during training. The dreams afterward felt just as real.”
Shani shook her head harder and pulled away from him, scrambling back toward the spot where Nimue had lain. Her hands pressed desperately against the floor.
Nothing.
Not even warmth remained.
Cold. Clean. Empty.
She looked back at him with wide, pleading eyes.
“I really saw her… I’m not lying…”
“Of course you aren’t, Princess,” Jaziel said gently as he scooted closer and softly rested his hands on her shoulders. “No one lies about a dream.”
He smiled reassuringly.
A dream. Was it? It had felt real. Too real. The sounds, the smells, the feeling of hands grabbing her… Her thoughts tangled painfully together as her head continued to ache.
If it was a dream… why was she here?
She remembered leaving her mother. Hearing voices. Nimue speaking to someone…
But who?
The memory slipped away again, just out of reach.
“Where is Nimue?” she asked finally, her voice small but firm.
Jaziel sighed tiredly and ran a hand through his hair.
“She requested leave this morning while you were in town,” he explained. “She should be halfway to the port by now.”
“You’re lying.”
The words escaped before Shani could stop them.
Something felt wrong. Deeply wrong.
But Jaziel didn’t react. He simply sighed again before carefully lifting her into his arms. Shani didn’t fight it. The room gave her chills, and her uncle was warm.
The moment they stepped into the hallway, the gathered servants scattered slightly. Questions and relieved murmurs spread quickly through the crowd as servants hurried toward the princess, checking her over anxiously.
“Where is Nimue?” Jaziel asked calmly.
The servants exchanged uncertain looks.
“Wasn’t she leaving for the port this morning?” one male servant murmured to another.
“That’s what I heard as well…” a woman replied softly, her eyes drifting toward the confused child with something akin to pity.One by one, the others quietly echoed the same sentiment.
Shani’s eyes widened.
Jaziel nodded and dismissed the servants back to their duties, pausing only long enough to instruct one maid to inform Jamila that the princess had been found.
He carried Shani down the old unused hall, and they were nearly at the exit when Jamila finally found them, breathless with relief.
tears flooded her face instantly as she rushed forward and pulled Shani tightly into her arms, pressing frantic kisses across her face.
Shani barely reacted.
Her trembling eyes shifted between Jaziel and Jamila as she bit her lip tightly.
“Where is Nimue?” she asked again, as though the question were the only thing anchoring her thoughts together. Her voice shook slightly.
Jamila hesitated. Confusion flickered briefly across her face before she glanced toward Jaziel.
Nightmare.
Jaziel mouthed silently. Understanding softened Jamila’s expression immediately.
“I’m sorry, my dawn,” Jamila said softly as she smoothed Shani’s curls. “She left this morning on a trip.”
Shani shoved her mother’s hand away.
“No! I saw her dying!”
Jamila froze slightly at the sharpness in her daughter’s voice. Shani had never raised her voice at her before, but seeing the little girl trembling in fear only made Jamila’s heart ache.
What a horrible nightmare it must have been…
Jamila gently handed Shani back to Jaziel before reaching into the hidden pocket sewn into the folds of her gown.
“Nimue requested leave, my dawn. See?”
Shani took the document with shaking hands.
The words blurred together, too advanced for her to fully understand, but she recognized the signatures immediately.
Nimue’s.
Jaziel’s.
Everything matched. Everything made sense, yet some part of her still screamed that it didn’t.
It was a dream.
It had to be.
No.
It wasn’t.
She remembered waking in pain. That had been real.
But…
She looked between her mother and uncle again. Their expressions were concerned, but honest.
Heat slowly crept into her cheeks.
“I… I’m sorry…” she whispered shamefully.
Jaziel looked confused for only a moment before she continued.
“I’m sorry for calling you a liar, Uncle…” she mumbled, her cheeks growing even warmer.
Jaziel smiled warmly.
“It’s alright,” he reassured. “Dreams can feel very real.”
He pulled her into another gentle hug, and this time Shani returned it hesitantly before he passed her back into Jamila’s waiting arms.
“At least now you know…” Jaziel said softly with a kind smile as he gently tapped her nose, “your uncle would never lie to you, Princess.”
Shani nodded slowly.
Still dazed. Still uncertain.
It wasn’t real… uncle doesn’t lie… it was just a dream.
She repeated the words over and over in her head, firm and unwavering, like a prayer.