Bloom looked out of the cloudy window. It had been raining for days. Matching her mood.
She sighed and sat back at the desk, where an open book lay.
Bloom reached for the pink pen, whose cap resembled a blue heart, and began to write...
"Since the attack, a lot has happened... They brought Stella, Musa, and Layla to the Magix hospital... They haven't woken up yet. Without them... the Winx Club feels so empty."
Bloom paused.
Tears streamed down her face.
She took a deep breath and continued writing: "They assigned us a therapist... She's also the reason for this book. It's supposed to help me process the events... It doesn't look good for them."
Bloom paused again.
She glanced at the empty beds.
Flora was still in the hospital. Since the attack, she had been trying to help. She had already tried various herbal remedies and elixirs, hoping to wake her friends up. Tecna was with her.
A curfew had been imposed to find Dakeria and her pursuer, but Flora and Tecna had persuaded Headmistress Faragonda to allow them to go to the hospital. Only Bloom had to stay here. That was Faragonda's explicit instruction.
"This is pointless, Kiko," Bloom said aloud and closed the book.
Anger consumed her.
Towards Dakeria, but also towards Headmistress Faragonda, who insisted on keeping Bloom in Alfea. Why though? She could only imagine that it somehow had to do with her magical power, the Dragon Flame.
Bloom crossed her arms on the desk and rested her head on them. Kiko hopped over to her. He had found a pink ribbon and tried to cheer her up by tying different bows.
But Bloom just stared apathetically at the wall.
Suddenly her phone rang.
Bloom jumped to her feet. In her haste, she stumbled over Kiko's basket, fell, and knocked over a shelf - finally grabbing her phone, which was on the bed. Rubbing her sore knee, she answered breathlessly: "Hello?"
"Hello Bloom."
Her heart skipped a beat - that was Flora's voice!
"FLORA! Is there any news from the hospital? Are the others awake again?!" Bloom asked excitedly.
"...well... No. But do you remember the girl we saw during the attack? ... She seems to be responding well to the herbal tincture. The doctors say she should wake up soon. Maybe -"
"I'm coming to you right away!" Bloom said and hung up.
She hurriedly got up and grabbed her jacket and shoes. She stepped out into the hallway and ran down to the campus."Bloom?" a voice called behind her.
She turned around and looked directly into the piercing eyes of Miss Griselda.
"Where are you going?"
"Miss Griselda, I just got a call from the hospital... I have to go!"
Griselda shook her head. Her stern face held a hint of pity: "I'm sorry, Bloom, but Headmistress Faragonda's instructions..."
"I'm not a student anymore!" Bloom snapped and broke free. She ignored Griselda's calls and ran to the bus stop in the rain. It had felt wrong from the start not to be with the other Winx.
After a few minutes, the bus arrived. Bloom sat down and looked out the window until the Magix Hospital came into view.
She got off quickly and ran through the corridors straight to the intensive care unit.
Flora was already waiting for her at the door."Bloom - you're soaking wet!"
"It doesn't matter. What about the girl?" Bloom asked, taking off her dripping wet jacket.
"Well, she..." Flora began, when
- "Hey, she's waking up!" Tecna's voice echoed from the room.
They hurried into the hospital room. It was brightly decorated, with four beds separated by curtains.
Tecna sat on a small stool and waved them over.
"...where am I?"
The girl opened her yellow eyes again. She blinked a few times, then tried to sit up.
"Better stay lying down," Flora said gently and handed her a glass of water.
The girl squinted.
"Oh... Wait," Tecna reached for a crescent-shaped pair of glasses on the bedside table and put them on her, "Better?"
A faint smile appeared on the girl's face. "Yes, thank you."
"What's your name?" Bloom asked, sitting next to her.
"I... I'm Amber. The Fairy of Truth. But I'm just a novice fairy..." she said softly. There was a pause. Then...: "I know you. You're the Winx. You were there during the attack."
"That's right. Three of our friends were also injured," Bloom said.
She scrutinized Amber, "You said you could feel cold and hatred when you focused on Dakeria. What's that about?"
"...I... can feel when someone is telling the truth or lying. And usually, I can also discern a person's background... But this woman... Dakeria... she was too strong for me. I could only perceive her emotions..." explained Amber.
She looked disappointed.
"Don't worry, Amber. You're still at the beginning of your magical training," Flora tried to cheer her up.
"Still, it would be strategically better if she gained more magical experience. Having a Fairy of Truth on the team sounds quite useful," Tecna said rationally.
Amber blushed slightly, "Useful?"
"Of course! Besides, you already have your abilities well enough under control to explore the feelings of someone like Dakeria," said Bloom.
Amber seemed surprised but happy, "Does that mean... I can help you... the Winx... catch Dakeria?"
"Sure!" said Bloom.
Amber beamed.
At that moment, the door opened, and Headmistress Faragonda entered.
"Amber, it's wonderful that you're awake," she said. Her gaze shifted to Bloom, "And Bloom, as much as I understand your desire to help - it's safer for you to stay in Alfea."
"Headmistress Faragonda..." Bloom began, "I... I can't just hide and do nothing all the time!"
"I understand. It's just for your own good."
"Why though? What are you hiding from us?" Tecna asked.
Faragonda gave her a stern look through her glasses, but then thought better of it: "Alright. Bloom may stay here for now. Meet me later in my office. Then I'll explain what's going on with Dakeria."
"Why keep it a secret?" Amber asked.
"I'll tell you when the time is right. And now, excuse me," Faragonda said shortly. She walked to the door and turned on her heel, "Rest well, Amber," before disappearing.
"That was strange. Usually, Headmistress Faragonda is much more open," Flora said, astonished.
"She's not sure if her theory is correct," Amber said thoughtfully.
"So, you can sense that too?" Bloom asked curiously.
"Yes... But sometimes I know too much. That's why I hardly have any friends..." explained Amber.
"I don't quite understand..."
"Many don't trust me because I could know their biggest secrets. For example, I know that Tecna is secretly working on a cuddle robot for the stuffed animals because she's worried that the children aren't taking good enough care of their stuffed animals. Plus, she stole Musa's Airpods. Flora would like to have her own room again, where she can work with dangerous plants without putting anyone but herself in danger, but she's too afraid to ask you because she's worried you might be concerned about her. And you, Bloom, after every small disagreement with Sky, you're considering calling Andy, even though you don't want anything from him."
It was suddenly quiet in the room.
"Um... well... but at least you always know how someone is feeling, right? If someone, for example, feels bad, you can talk to them. That's good, isn't it?" said Flora.
"...I'm not sure..." Amber said. She nervously twirled one of her light blue locks around her finger.
"Whether you see your abilities as a curse or a blessing - we need you. So... Come on. The sooner we talk to Faragonda, the better," Bloom decided.
Her gaze swept over the beds where her friends were still sleeping. She got up.
"I'll come with," said Amber, despite her doctor's protests.
Together, they returned to Alfea.