'Wake up…'
'R…'
'Ryn…'
"..." Ryn opened his eyes lazily. After blinking a few times, he slowly sat up.
He was in a small, plain room, lying on a simple bed.
White walls, a single window showing a calm sky.
'I see,' he muttered inwardly. 'So we've already been moved.'
"You're up?"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
He turned his head to the left.
He saw a familiar face, Asher, sitting in the next bed over, munching on a glossy red apple. He looked surprisingly energetic, considering the hell they had just been through.
"Mm," Ryn replied, his voice still a bit sleepy.
"You really like to sleep, huh?" Asher said with a wry smile, as if remembering their first meeting. Ryn had been sleeping back then, too.
"I do," Ryn answered honestly.
"Ha-ha," Asher let out a short, genuine laugh at the blunt reply.
He picked up another apple from a small plate on the bedside table and tossed it underhand to Ryn. "Here."
Ryn caught it easily. But before eating straight away, he took a wet napkin from the nearby table and gave the apple a careful, thorough wipe. With another one, he wiped his hands and face clean, as his mother taught him to at least do this before eating anything.
"Hmm," And only after inspecting the shiny skin did he take a quiet, crisp bite. "…Delicious."
Asher watched the little ritual, his smile softening into something more thoughtful. He leaned back against his pillow.
"Man," he sighed, his gaze drifting to the ceiling. "I thought I was dead for sure back there. When that mimic screamed, and everything went black… I really thought that was the end."
He paused, then turned his head to look Ryn dead in the eye.
"It was you, wasn't it?"
Ryn didn't stop chewing. He just raised an eyebrow. "What was?"
"Don't play dumb," Asher said, his voice low but intense. "I know I passed back then, so I didn't see anything. But the door was obviously locked, Ryn. And the monsters were swarming us."
Asher gestured to the room.
"There's no way a rescue team got to us, killed the monsters, unlocked the door, and carried us out in the split second before we were eaten. That's illogical."
He pointed at Ryn.
"You're a Flux Arcanist with a teleportation ability. You knew about the mimic before anyone else. And I am 100% sure you didn't lose your consciousness like us."
Asher let out a breath, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You must have teleported us. All five of us."
Ryn swallowed his bite of apple. He considered denying it, but while Asher wasn't alright in the head, he wasn't that stupid either. Denying the obvious would only make him more suspicious.
"It was a desperate move," Ryn admitted simply, keeping his tone tired. "I just shoved everyone through a gap in space. I didn't even know if we'd land in one piece."
"But we did," Asher said firmly. "We're alive because of you."
He sat up straighter, his noble upbringing shining through his slightly disheveled appearance. He bowed his head slightly, a sign of genuine respect.
"I owe you my life, Ryn. And I always pay my debts. If you ever need anything... just ask."
Ryn waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. I just wanted to survive too. Carrying you guys was just... convenient."
"Convenient or not," Asher insisted, "I won't forget it."
"Well, alright," Ryn could see Asher was the stubborn type, so he didn't argue any further, putting an end to the topic. "What matters the most is that we survived, didn't we?"
"Right... we survived," Asher muttered.
He looked down at his lap, his voice trailing off.
Under the thin white blanket, Ryn caught a glimpse of movement. Asher's hands were clenched into fists. His shoulders trembled with a mixture of relief and a sharp, biting frustration.
Ryn decided to pretend he didn't see it.
Asher took a deep, shaky breath, composing himself. When he looked up again, the vulnerability was masked behind a veneer of curiosity.
"Can I ask you something?" Asher asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. Seeing Ryn nod, he continued. "How did you notice it? The mimic, I mean."
He pointed a finger at his own temple. "I might sound arrogant, but I have... pretty good instincts. But I didn't feel a thing from that toddler until it transformed."
Ryn swallowed the apple slice, savoring the sweetness. "It was obvious."
"O-Obvious?" Asher blinked.
"Yeah. Think about it." Ryn gestured vaguely with the half-eaten fruit. "The child didn't speak once. He watched us throughout the entire journey. And most importantly... he didn't cry when we walked past the dead bodies in the hallway."
Ryn shrugged. "Normal children cry when they see blood or get scared. That thing? It only screamed when we were hidden, and the monsters were leaving. That's when I noticed something was wrong."
Asher stared at him, his mouth falling open slightly.
It was such a simple, observational point.
One that he, with all his future-knowledge and tactical training, had completely missed because he was too busy looking for "plot events" rather than looking at reality.
"I..." Asher stammered, a flicker of self-reproach crossing his face. "I didn't even think of that."
"People tend to miss the small things when they're panicking about the big things," Ryn said with a chuckle. "Well, that's what my mom says when I lose my mind, tearing the room apart for a matching sock, only to realize I'm already wearing it inside the other pair."
"I see," Asher murmured, a faint, dry chuckle escaping him despite his gloom. "I was looking too far ahead... and I tripped over what was right at my feet."
Click-Hiss.
The conversation was cut short as the door to the room slid open with a sharp pneumatic sound.
Ryn and Asher turned in unison.
A woman walked in.
She had long, fiery red hair tied back in a strict ponytail and wore the sharp, militaristic uniform of a senior Academy Instructor. She held a digital clipboard in one hand, her gaze sweeping over them with piercing intensity.
"I see you two are awake..."