Morning light found Hina groaning as her eyelids fluttered open. Mera burst into the room like a sunburst.
"HINAAAAAAAAAA!" she shrieked and leapt onto the bed. "I was sooooo worried!" she sobbed, hugging Hina tight.
"I'm alright. I'm alright," Hina said, holding her back.
"This is all Asim's fault, isn't it?" Mera accused, glaring at him.
"What do I have to do with this?" Asim shot back, annoyed.
Mera glared and tightened her hold. "You harmed poor Hina," she declared, protective and indignant. Ivan padded in behind them, his voice light but laced with worried relief. "Didn't know you were that strong. Came out unscratched, huh?"
They joked, the room briefly warm with chatter, until the door opened and a familiar — yet now only faintly threatening — figure entered. He ordered the others to step out. Mera gave Hina one last squeeze; Ivan waved. They left.
"You stay," the man said to Asim. Asim sat again with a sigh.
The figure approached Hina and bowed slightly. "My name is Valen. I led the mission."
He was broad but thin, his hair moving softly. He smiled faintly — less consumed by void than the figure Hina remembered at the meeting point.
"Before we talk, I'd like to apologize to you and Asim for the incident," Valen said, head bowed. "My miscalculation put you both in danger and left you facing Veynar without backup."
Hina waved the apology away, embarrassed. "No, no. It's fine."
Valen straightened. "So, tell me, Hina — what happened? How did you come out unscratched? It was odd."
Hina froze, fumbling for words. "I… I—"
Asim stepped in smoothly. "She passed out from fear after our encounter with Veynar. She doesn't remember clearly," he said, calm and measured.
what a save Hina thought before she breathed out
Valen nodded. "Understood." He considered them both for a moment, then said, "By honor of you and Asim defeating Veynar, do you have any special requests?"
Hina blinked, thought for a beat, and replied, "Chocolate pudding."
Valen's confusion flickered across his face. Asim both face-palmed and tried not to laugh. Valen cleared his throat. "I was talking about an actual request," he said with a small, reluctant chuckle. "Kids these days." He smiled, then looked to Asim. "I'll need you for a moment."
Asim gave Hina a quick nod and followed Valen into the hallway.
Mera and Ivan trailed them at a distance.
In the corridor, Valen's soft expression hardened. "In the fight, are you sure you didn't see anything at all?" he asked Asim.
"As I told you — nothing," Asim said. "I told you everything."
Valen's jaw tightened. "When the crew returned to the site, we couldn't find Veynar's body. Only blood."
Valen frowned. "Could it be his minions?"
"Maybe," Asim said slowly.
Valen "We'll investigate. I'll need to go,I will get back with you later."
They parted. Asim sank back on the chair outside Hina's room and watched the black-coated nurses pass. This isn't over, he thought. We'll see Veynar again.
A nurse pushed a cart and Asim slipped a chocolate pudding into his hand. He stepped back into the room, tossed it to Hina with a crooked grin. Mera squealed and hugged Hina again.
"Someone wants to talk to you, Asim," Aiko's voice called behind him. He turned to find her waiting in the corridor.
They walked until the voices of the nurses faded, the sterile lights of the hallway dimming behind them. The air here was still—quiet enough to hear the faint hum of the hospital vents.
Aiko stopped, crossing her arms. Her tone was sharp.
"I don't believe your story."
Asim leaned against the wall, eyes heavy. "What would I even gain from lying?"
"I wonder too," she said coldly, taking a step closer. "Why are you lying?"
He groaned quietly. "I'm not."
Her eyes narrowed, cutting through him. "I can hear it. That hesitation. That filth in your tone."
She took another step, her presence heavy, her voice dropping low.
"Keep lying to me, Asim," she whispered. "And I wouldn't think twice about cutting your tongue in half."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Even Asim — the one known for never flinching — froze.
He swallowed hard, eyes darting around, checking corners, vents, shadows. No one was nearby. Only the hum of the lights above them.
His voice dropped. "...I didn't kill Veynar."
Aiko's expression didn't change—but her silence told him to continue.
"Veynar killed Hina," Asim said quietly, his words trembling slightly. "He… he pierced her head clean through. She should've been dead. But then—" he took a shaky breath, "—she healed. Instantly."
Aiko raised an eyebrow, her stare sharpening.
"She said she could see through every possibility," he whispered. "That there wasn't a single one where Veynar survived. And then… she killed him."
The hallway felt heavier now. Aiko stared at him for a long moment before speaking, her voice softer—almost thoughtful.
"I knew the girl had something inside her," she muttered. Then her eyes darkened again. "If what you're saying is true… she's an undergoing Shadow prodigy."
She turned slightly, her cloak brushing the floor. "Good. Don't tell anyone. Not a word. We can't risk her being intaked with." She hesitated, her tone dropping to a whisper. "Eclipsera."
Asim nodded once. "Understood."
Aiko exhaled through her nose, expression unreadable again. "They're searching for Veynar's remains. I need you to come to the cave. If he's alive… we'll find out."
She pressed her hand against the wall — shadows rippling outward to form a black door.
Asim glanced once more down the empty hall before following. The silence, the flicker of the lights, the lingering echo of her threat — all of it clung to him like smoke.
This isn't over, he thought. And if she's right… it's only the beginning.
Then he stepped through the door beside her.