Oof!
The floor was suddenly softer than I expected.
"What... Am I back?"
Slowly, I got up to take another look at the surrounding. Indeed, I was back. The feeling of returning never felt so good.
But then, I was entirely tired. I was still sitting by my desk, staring up at the ceiling.
I looked down at my hand, they were quite alright. Then at the side of the table, the sword was back.
And I also didn't the liquid warmth from the back of my head.
"So... after leaving, the injury heals itself?" I asked into the open space.
As if on queue, a dark red drop of blood fell onto the centre of my palm from up above.
"Hm?" When I looked up though, the ceiling didn't have a problem. I didn't even know why is as doubting that the ceiling had some issues. Unless it was a beast, of course nothing would lead to this.
I looked back down again, more drops fell.
Only then did I snap out of my delusion and stumbled onto my feet. The injuries were prove of what had happened inside that sudden dungeon.
Frustrated, I grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it directly into the opposite wall.
"Aaaarrgh!" But it wasn't going to stop the injury. Was it?
"Sasha. I need to get to Sasha." I mumbled, then reached directly towards the room door.
I didn't even bother locking it from the outside, I just stumbled towards the door to room 113. While I walked by, I took a pause to look at the door right in between.
"Should I...?" Hesitating, I raised my fist to knock.
However, I walked right past and stood in the middle of the halfway as I contemplated my choices.
Even if I went to Sasha's, what good was it going to do to me? She didn't even have the ability to heal me.
Blood started to pool around my feet, I tried to move. Too bad it was too late. My muscles wouldn't even buldge.
I don't know what got into me, or why I hated wanting to trust people at the wrong time.
But at the end... It only ever costs me. Why?
Things couldn't have gotten worse by any chance? Why keep me alive when I was going to suffer another round of torture without even knowing it or wanting it?
I want to know what mistake I have done that is making me pay back in such lengths. What was is my karma?
My bottom lips started to tremble unwantingly, so I bit it down to stop. My fingers twitched at my sides as my breathing grew more and more ragged and my eyes blurred. They burned.
My head was spinning and my throat locked up. I couldn't even speak. It felt like something was squeezing my neck from behind, and a stone was shoved down my mouth. My ears ringing as I tried to surpress it.
Though I couldn't. My medicines were failing against this emotion.
What was it? Sadness? Anger? Resentment? Abhor? Frustration?
I don't know. And I think I am better of not knowing.
Before I knew it, the door to the electrical room swung open. I panicked, reaching my hands up to cover my face and wiped it vigorously.
If it were a professor, I was breaking curfew. The best I could do was just take the punishment and return back to my room.
But the severe blood loss made me dizzy, and completely drained. I suddenly fell to my knees, clenching my rib which was suddenly throbbing.
My hand returned slick with warm, dark liquid. There was a slight injury at my side, though I hadn't realized it was there all this time.
"Oh... What a pleasant time to go out." I whispered to myself as my body tilted forward to crash with the floor.
But luckily, a pair of arms grabbed my shoulders just short of my face colliding with the concrete.
"You poor child." A soft, chilingly cozy voice called out. Slowly, she lifted my upper body onto her lap.
"Hah! You are bleeding a lot!" She gasped as her hands came away bloodied. "How—what happened?"
Looking up close, she had wild, dark, curvy hair that framed a sweet, motherly face. Her skin was smooth and a chocolate colour.
Normally, my mind wanted me to run out of her grasp. Because she was a professor, just like Avry. The faculty itself was now an enemy to me, so it didn't have to do with just one person.
Still, my body was at its limits and I had no wish to die so soon. I let my shoulders relax and my eyelids droop heavily down.
"Just... Save me." I whispered one last time before my consciousness was dragged under. I did feel a gentle stroke of a hand moving away a few strands of hair away from my face. But that was the last thing I knew.
Later, I heard that I was brought to the infirmary through a portal in the same room that she had been in.
I was honestly happy I stumbled upon her that day. It felt like she filled the space that felt empty for so long. That motherly affection that not many people could fulfil.
***
The cafeteria was bustling. People chatting, people doing something, chairs scrapping against the floor, spoons and forks clinking against plates.
"Seriously? Though I haven't actually thought about it once!"
"What?! Then what the hell have you been up to for so long?! You practically missed all fun in your childhood!"
Sasha and Nada chatted about, laughing at jokes they shared with each other without a single care to the world.
Clink. Clink.
Helio on the other hand, sat directly opposite them in their usual manner, playing with the food with a fork while caudally leaning his cheek against his palm on his elbow.
He twirled a long strip of vegetable around the width, before softly placing it down and letting out a bored sigh.
How long has it even been? Doesn't lunch end a bit faster?
He stretched his arms above his head, letting out a yawn before letting them fall back at his side.
The others continued yapping about their day and some interesting things that was... Out of the usual honestly.
Suddenly, out of curiosity, his head turned to the left. The seat was empty for the past two days.
An itch erupted at the back of his mind, causing him to furrow his brows before he finally blurted it out.
"Nada? Where is Aefia?" He asked.
The conversation stopped, two pairs of eyes turning his direction with an unreadable expression.
"Right. She has been missing for the last two days." Nada folded her arms, tapping her chin. "Maybe she is just sleeping? Maybe she had been really exhausted the past couple of days?"
Helio shook his head in frustruation. "No. That can't be the answer. Do you really not know?"
Just then, Avry happened to be passing by their table.
Sasha's head snapped up.
"Professor! Professor Avry!" She called out, waving a hand in the air.
"What?" The woman turned her head sharply, in an aggregated manner.
"Just curious though. But is there news about candidate fifteen?"
A silence dawned in their table.
A slow smirk pulled at Avry's lips.
"Oh, candidate fifteen?" Her head turned towards where Helio was sitting. "I was meaning to say it anyways, since you are the squad leader."
She stepped closer. "Just two nights ago, candidate fifteen was found injured with a bash to the head, a dislocated shoulder and a narrow stab at her ribs. God knows who she picked up a fight with. She was battered up real well. A professor found her collapsed on the floor in front of the dorms.
"She was immediately taken into the infirmarh luckily. Though she has been in a comatose state from then. The professor who found her is currently in charge of her, so she has more information. Until now, that is all I can say. Since you are the squad leader, you ought to keep in mind."
She then took a step backward, as if she was going to turn and walk away.
"Wait!" Helio stood up. "Where exactly did you find her collapsed?"
Avry turned her head over her shoulder. "You will be surprised to know that she was found right in front of your door, squad leader."
His eyes widened, his pupils dilating to pinpricks.
"Hold on... That doesn't make sense," Nada said while pinching the bridge between her eyes. "It isn't like she is currently enemies with anyone. So who would she get into that sort of a fight with? To even get a stab wound?"
Avry simply shrugged. "You know your cousin better than anyone of us do, candidate nine. Now then, I should get going."
Nada clenched her hands into fists, slamming them onto the table at either sides of her tray. "You know that you aren't really cleared of suspicion too, right Professor?"
She didn't reply, continuing to walk until she was out of the cafeteria.
Truly, there was nothing else left to say about this.
"Ugh! Aefia and her troubles!" Nada sighed, slamming she hands onto her face. "Honestly, I can't do anymore to defend her."
Helio stared down at her with a sudden rage. "You aren't even worried if she is dead or alive?"
"So what? She will always end up being alive anyways." She replied, her hands moving to cup her chin instead as she leaned against her elbow. "Aefia is almost an unkillable roach. She will survive this too."
His eyes then trailed toward Sasha. "And you?"
"What about me?"
"Aren't you worried too?" He asked, his brows furrowing further.
She simply let out a sigh. "You know... That is very expensive coming from someone who looks like they want to murder her everytime she comes into your line of sight. I don't know why you are engrossing yourself into this."
His mind blanked out. "So showing concern... Is now seen as a malicious intend?"
"Why? We all know she is stronger than she seems. She will get away with it, trust me."
Seeing as how the votes were going up, he resigned to sticking with their predictions.
***
Lights were blinding. They were incredibly blinding when you suddenly open your eyes after so long...
"Child? ... Child?" That soft voice called out.
Aefia immediately snapped out of her daze and looked up. "Sorry about that."
"It is alright." Professor Miriam smiled, holding a pen-thin torch in one hand. "Before I let you go, I will have to do some test."
Aefia sat at the edge of the medical cot, her legs dangling back and forth like a child's as she zoned out a second time.
Miriam let out a frowning sigh. She pulled her fingers up to her line of sight, and snapped them twice.
"Ah!" Her head finally lifted as she rubbed half her face in exhaustion and realization. "I don't know what is up with me. Sorry again."
"It is alright, my child."
With a click, the pen lit up. She held it up to her irises, checking both eyes before walking over to the table to write down a few things.
"Your response and all seems to be fine... Welp! That means you are ready to go." She smiled, holding out a hand to help her down.
Since apparently, Aefia would feel very dizzy if she got down too rapidly. Immediately, she turned on her heels to leave through the door.
"Wait! Child, you are forgetting your medicines."
For a few seconds, Aefia's fingers twitched at her sides as she stood frozen. Then, turned around to pick up the two bottles.
"I am so very sorry. I have a lot of things in my mind right now." She whispered, her voice raspy form disuse after so long.
"Don't bother. Take care of yourself!"
Aefia simply offered a nod, then walked out of the infirmary doors.
Once they shut behind her, she immediately pulled off the lid and slipped two pills into her mouth. The bitterness helped to quiet down the raging storm in her head.
"Fia!" Nada shouted as she rushed towards her with arms wide open. They wrapped around Aefia's neck tightly.
"Missed you. How are you feeling?"
She couldn't tell anymore. Her eyes immediately drifted towards the two other people sitting by a table on the farther side of the field. Memories came surging back. A sudden numbness taking over.
"Fia? Are you alright? Nada's hands cupped her face, tilting it side to side.
"I am... Fine." She managed to force out a smile, that didn't reach her eyes.
*********************
First draft: 07.11.2025
Rewritten: 26.09.2026