Sia slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurry at first, her head felt heavy as if stuffed with cotton. She blinked a few times before recognizing the familiar ceiling of her room. Her breath hitched for a moment.
"…My room…?" she murmured softly.
She shifted her gaze to the wall clock. It showed five in the morning. Sia frowned in confusion. She tried to sit up, but the moment she lifted her body even slightly, weakness dragged her back onto the bed.
"Don't get up."
The voice made Sia turn quickly.
Asher was already sitting, leaning casually against the wardrobe, watching her with half-lidded eyes. His expression was calm, as if last night's situation was nothing.
"Your body isn't ready yet," Asher continued flatly. "If you force it, you'll pass out again."
Sia frowned. Her throat felt dry. She raised her hand and touched her forehead. The touch made her go still.
"…It's hot…" she whispered.
"Fever," Asher said shortly. "Your body's reaction after excessive panic. The lights going out, a closed space, plus old trauma. Your system got shocked."
Sia swallowed. "So… this is because of what happened in the warehouse?"
"Mostly," Asher replied. "You weren't just scared. Your body was fighting something it shouldn't have faced alone."
Sia turned her face away. "So… you're the one who brought me home."
Asher gave a small nod. "There was no one else who could."
Sia fell silent. Her memories were fragmented. The hand pulling her jacket. Laughter. And then… that song.
"I remember up to that song," Sia said quietly. "After that… it's blank."
Asher didn't respond.
Sia moved her hand to her chest. Right below her neck, and stopped. Her brows furrowed when she realized something. She looked down.
"…I'm still wearing my jacket."
She turned to Asher. "Why didn't you take it off?"
Asher glanced at her. "No need."
"That's an outer jacket," Sia protested.
"You were sweating and your body was cold," Asher replied flatly. "If I took it off, you'd catch a chill. And well, you still got sick anyway."
Sia was silent for a few seconds. "So… you deliberately left it on me?"
"Yes."
"…Oh."
No more arguments. Sia let out a long breath and rested her arm over her forehead, closing her eyes.
Asher closed his eyes as well, his voice sounding lazy. "This is what happens when you always act on your own. Thinking you can save everyone."
"It's not my fault I can't stay quiet," Sia replied softly.
"And now who's in trouble?" Asher opened one eye. "Not you. Me."
Sia let out a small scoff. Then, after a few seconds of silence, she said, "If I'm the one causing trouble… why do you still help me?"
Asher didn't answer immediately.
He closed his eyes fully, his face returning to its usual flat expression. "Go to sleep," he said shortly. "You ask too many questions."
"…That's not an answer."
Asher didn't respond anymore.
Sia opened one eye, staring at him in annoyance. "Weird ghost."
No reaction.
"Pretending to sleep," Sia muttered quietly.
She finally gave up and closed her eyes again, letting her body sink into the lingering exhaustion.
Sunlight slowly slipped in through the gap in the window.
In the kitchen, Yana stopped her knife mid-motion. She glanced at the wall clock, then frowned.
"She's usually awake by now…" she murmured.
She set the knife down, dried her hands, then walked toward Sia's room with slow steps, preparing to wake her up.
Yana stopped right in front of Sia's door. She knocked softly a few times.
"Sia," she called, waiting. "Wake up. Take a bath first, or you'll be late for school."
No answer.
Yana frowned. She knocked again, a little louder this time. "Sia?"
Still silence.
With an uneasy feeling, Yana turned the doorknob and opened it. Her gaze immediately fell on Sia, still lying in bed, her body wrapped in a blanket, completely unmoving.
"Why isn't she awake yet?" Yana muttered in confusion.
She stepped inside, approached the bed, and sat on its edge. Her hand gently shook Sia's shoulder.
"Sia, wake up, dear."
No response.
Even though Sia was conscious. She heard everything. Her body felt heavy and her head dizzy, so she chose to keep her eyes closed.
Yana began to panic. Her hand moved to Sia's forehead.
"Oh my… she's burning up," she whispered.
Yana stood up, letting out a long breath. "No wonder… she looked so tired last night."
She gently stroked Sia's hair. "Looks like I can't go to work today," she muttered to herself. "You need to be taken care of."
Sia's eyelids finally moved. She opened her eyes slowly, her gaze weak.
"Mom…" her voice was hoarse, barely audible. "You don't have to… skip work."
Yana immediately turned. "Sia? You're awake?"
"Yes," Sia answered softly. "It's just a fever. I can rest on my own."
"A fever isn't nothing," Yana replied, her tone firm but clearly worried. "I won't feel at ease leaving you alone."
Sia shook her head weakly. "I'm really fine. If I sleep, it'll go down. Don't let your boss scold you because of me."
Yana fell silent for a moment, staring at her daughter's face. It was pale, her eyes were dull, but that stubborn glint was still there.
"You're as stubborn as ever," Yana muttered.
Sia tried to smile faintly. "I take after you."
Yana snorted softly, then let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. But promise me, if it gets worse, tell me immediately."
"Yes," Sia replied quietly.
Yana adjusted the blanket up to Sia's shoulders. "Go back to sleep. I'll call your teacher first."
Sia nodded weakly.
Yana left the room, closing the door gently, then walked to the living room to call Sia's teacher and inform them that Sia wouldn't be attending school today due to illness.
Inside the now quiet room, Sia closed her eyes again.
On top of the wardrobe, Asher opened one eye, glancing at the closed door.
"…Stubborn indeed," he muttered softly.
Sia shot him a sharp look.
"Noisy," she mumbled quietly.
She then turned her head to the side, refusing to let Asher see her face, and shut her eyes tightly. It was obvious she didn't feel like dealing with that ghost right now.
A few minutes passed.
The door opened again. Yana entered carrying a tray with a bowl of warm porridge and a glass of water. She placed it on the small table beside the bed.
"This is your breakfast," she said gently. "Finish it, okay?"
Sia opened her eyes slightly. "Mom…"
"If anything happens, call me immediately," Yana continued, not giving Sia a chance to argue. "My phone is on."
She leaned down and kissed Sia's forehead with care. "Rest properly."
"Yes…" Sia replied weakly.
Yana smiled faintly, then left the room and gently closed the door before heading off to work.
The room fell silent again.
Sia took a deep breath, then forced herself to sit up and lean against the wall. Her head still felt heavy. She sniffed softly, pulling in mucus with an annoying sound.
"Ugh…" she groaned.
She picked up the tray and looked at the porridge with reluctance. "I'm not hungry at all," she muttered.
Suddenly, Asher appeared right in front of the bed, making Sia flinch.
"If that's the case," Asher said casually, "just give it to me. I like eating too."
Sia immediately looked wary. "Don't be ridiculous."
She shook her head firmly. "No. This is for the living."
"For your information," Asher replied lightly, "I can enjoy the taste too."
"No," Sia answered quickly.
Finally, reluctantly, Sia picked up the spoon and started eating. Her movements were very slow, every bite felt heavy. After just a few spoonfuls, her stomach churned.
Sia stopped, covering her mouth, holding back the urge to vomit.
"…Hah…" her breath caught.
But she forced herself. The spoon moved again. She finished the porridge little by little, even though her face clearly showed discomfort.
Asher watched from the side, then shook his head slightly.
***
In the classroom, the atmosphere was as noisy as usual before the lesson began. Garin sat at his desk, repeatedly glancing toward the classroom door.
"So unusual," he grumbled. "Where did that kid go? She's usually already here by now."
He clicked his tongue irritably, then suddenly grabbed Arven's hair, who was sitting beside him, and tugged it lightly but dramatically.
"Ouch! Garin, what the heck!" Arven protested, swatting his hand away. "What did I do?"
"I'm just annoyed," Garin snapped. "Today feels weird."
Arven scoffed, fixing his now messy hair. "Then why take it out on me?"
From the back seat, Lira rested her chin on her hand. "Or maybe," she said casually, "Sia isn't coming today."
Garin immediately turned. "No way."
Lira shrugged. "Why not?"
"She never skips," Garin argued quickly. "At worst, she's just late."
Lira gave a faint smile, as if she didn't feel like arguing.
The bell rang. The teacher entered the class, and the atmosphere immediately calmed down. Names were called one by one during attendance.
"…Laila."
"Present, Ma'am."
"…Rania."
"Present."
The teacher continued until finally pausing for a moment. "Sia," she said. "Absent today. Excused due to illness."
Garin instinctively turned to the back, toward Lira's seat. Their gazes met.
Lira smirked slightly, a cynical smile that clearly mocked him.
"There," her expression seemed to say.
Garin scoffed, turning his face forward with a look of mixed annoyance and frustration. "Hah," he muttered quietly.
**********
❀(⸝⸝•ᴗ•⸝⸝)❀
Hi everyone 👋🤍
I just wanted to let you know that the next chapter will be postponed until April 3rd. I'm going to take a short full break to rest and recharge before school starts again on March 30. I hope you understand 🥺
Also, for those of you who celebrate it, Happy Eid al-Fitr! 🌙✨
I sincerely wish you all joy, peace, and happiness. Please forgive me for any mistakes, both intentional and unintentional 🤍
Thank you so much for always reading and supporting my story. It really means a lot to me. Please don't ever feel shy to leave comments. I'd actually love it if you do! 💬
You can share your thoughts, theories, or even point out anything that feels off in the story. Your feedback helps me improve and become better at writing the next chapters.
Take care of yourselves, and see you again on April 3rd! 🤍✨