Axel's first thought was he'd died, else why was there a bright light approaching, even with his eyes closed, he could feel it.
Then slowly he opened his eyes, squinting at the bright blurry light over his head.
He winced in pain as he tried to sit up, a little sting from his abdomen, if pain still existed he was very much alive.
His blurry vision got clearer as he rubbed his eyes, he realized the so-called bright light was just a bulb, embedded into a smooth metal ceiling with faint blue light pulsing through the seams.
Where am I, he wondered and sat up slowly, blinking as the rest of the room came into focus. Sleek walls curved seamlessly together, light strips humming softly along their edges, straight out of sci Fi fantasy.
A transparent screen beside his bed flickered with floating graphs and strange readings — his heartbeat, vitals, maybe even his lunch status for all he could tell.
A sick bay, clearly.
He flexed his fingers and tested his bandage wrapped limbs, a bit sore but responsive. His torso ached where the spear had torn through, but compared to before, it was like waking from a long nap instead of near death.
Then his gaze landed on the table beside the door.
The familiar blue glow of the gishiki sheath, the katana within.
He walked towards the table, the floor cool under his bare feet, and noticed a neatly folded black shirt next to the katana.
If the Katana is here, that means I'm with someone who's not trying to kill me and take it, most likely Serif, but where is he, and where am I, he wondered, putting on the shirt, which was oddly his size.
He then grabbed the katana and gave it a testing swing. The blade hissed through the air, catching the light — smooth, effortless.
He let out a satisfied breath. "Still got it," he muttered.
The door slid open with a soft shhhk as he approached, revealing a corridor glowing with brighter light. Same aesthetic — clean, futuristic, faint hum of power underfoot.
"To your left," a familiar voice resounded, calm and emotionless. Serif.
Axel looked around for a camera. Nothing. Just walls, lights, and more lights. He raised a hand and flipped off the nearest panel. What a caring guide he is.
"Nice to see you too, buddy," he said under his breath.
He followed the instructions, the air smelling faintly of ionized metal — like a storm about to happen indoors. The corridor opened into a broad chamber, and Axel's jaw went slack.
A cockpit or something close, no definitely a cockpit. The whole front wall was glass, showing clouds streaming past. They were flying. The hum beneath the floor deepened into a low, steady thrum.
The pilot's chair twirled around revealing Amy, a wide grin on her face as she waved at him.
Axel grinned back. "Okay, not gonna lie — this is cool."
Off to the side sat Serif, arms crossed, eyes closed, the very image of someone pretending the universe didn't exist.
Ah, the classic "I'm too cool for everything" move, Axel thought. Two can play that game.
He ignored him and flopped into a chair beside Amy and let out a groan of pure satisfaction.
"Oh, this… this is the perfect chair. I can die happy now."
Amy snorted. "That good?"
He nodded solemnly. "It's got that perfect balance between firm and fluffy — like it was made by angels who really care."
She laughed. "Glad to know our ship passes the comfort test."
"Ship huh, I guessed that." He blinked in awe at the clouds racing by outside. "But just in case, what exactly is this?"
It obviously wasn't your normal plane.
"The Thunderbird," She answered, brushing a stray braid from her face.
"The Thunderbird? As in the mythical creature that throws lightning and makes storms?" Axel eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, something like that," she chuckled.
"Let me guess, Hermes named it."
Amy snapped her fingers, "a point for you, but not just that, he built it," she explained.
Axel whistled low. "Somehow that isn't surprising, considering all I've seen."
"Why buy a plane when you can build a storm god?" he said, scanning the dashboard.
Amy laughed, but her expression softened. "How are you feeling?"
He rubbed the spot on his abdomen and winced at the memory of the spear piercing through. "As good as someone who got harpooned, I guess."
"Do you also have a healing type anima?" He asked, his tone serious.
"Nope," She shook her head.
"The medical bay handled most of it," she said. "Plus Thorne's remedy boosted your healing."
"Thorne's what now?"
Amy looked at him with a puzzled expression, then she chuckled, "right you don't know, the drink we took at the restaurant, it's kind of like...a buff drink." She explained.
A buff drink huh, so I am guessing it doesn't heal on its own, but that's a start.
He blinked. "A buff drink? You people have potions now?"
"Not exactly, but similar." She chuckled.
"Well, color me impressed. By the way, how long was I out?"
"About an hour."
His face lit up, just an hour and he was almost at hundred percent, the remedy had to be extremely effective or the medical bay was something else.
"That's it that medic bay is magic."
Amy's lips curled into a smile. "The med bay's my mom's design. It accelerates natural recovery processes and handles complex injuries simultaneously. Basically, surgery and healing therapy boosted ten times."
Axel leaned forward, suddenly serious. "Could it… heal a damaged spine?"
She frowned slightly. "Depends on the damage, but I doubt it. It's capable of things most doctors can't even dream of, although it still requires a professional human touch, my mum was pretty prejudiced against AI and stuff."
"I see," Axel muttered with a low tone, slumping back into the chair, Amy glancing at him, "why the interest?" She asked.
"For my sister," Axel explained, " She got hurt when we were kids, all my fault, her sacral and lumbar vertebrae almost completely shattered." He finished, his expression darkened.
Silence. The hum of the ship filled the gap.
Amy looked away, voice soft. "My brother once mentioned a wielder who could heal anything. Any wound, no matter how bad. Maybe they could help."
Axel's eyes lit up, there was indeed hope, "but…" he muttered, ready for the condition.
Amy chuckled, "don't be so negative," she said, but he simply shrugged.
"But no one knows her whereabouts, she comes and goes according to my brother," she paused, hesitating, "though…he might have an idea of how to find her."
"Your brother, where is he?"
Amy took a deep breath and sighed, her shoulders slumped, "I don't know, I'm also looking for him, that's why I agreed to leave E town."
Axel was quiet for a moment, then exhaled and leaned back. "Fair enough." His eyes drifted to the window. "So… where are we headed?"
"Tihodol," Amy said, fingers dancing over the console. "The first village where anima were made."
Before Axel could respond, a sharp beep cut through the room. One of the screens flashed to full power. Amy grinned.
"Hold on to something."
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Why do you look like you're about to do something insane?"
"Because I am," she said brightly, pushing a button.
The floor hummed louder. The walls vibrated. Outside, lightning began to crackle and flicker along the wings.
"Witness the might of the Thunderbird," Amy said, pushing the throttle forward.
The next second a thunderclap shook the cockpit, and the world blurred into a streak of white and blue. Axel was thrown back into his chair, gripping the armrests as the ship screamed through the sky.
Yup, he gasped, eyes wide. Definitely insane!