[This is a work of fiction, only meant to be enjoyed, not to be taken literally. We mean no offense to anyone, any organization, or any religion.]
[5] Chapter 5: Recovery
March 29th
Ishanna lowered his gaze once more.
There was no need for further explanation. It was essentially insurance.
Even without the academy's support, other channels would have handled it.
To put it plainly, the government was the true source behind such compensations.
"Margaret and I reported everything to the Special Forces. You understand how these matters go."
Right..
Ishanna did.
Because of the significance of those historical artifacts.
Some were even rumored to have special qualities, like a diamond-shaped item that was said to be unbreakable.
Even after being melted at thousands of degrees Celsius, it stayed whole.
Naturally, discoveries like that drove nations into a frenzy.
Scientists, however, insisted it was merely an unknown yet durable alloy that was no longer in existence.
However, many others believed the legends of those iconic figures from the past were real.
They compared the truths to myths.
Anyway...
"Professor, please allocate eighty percent to Reeves' guardian, and I'll manage with the remainder."
Lukham exhaled quietly, scratching the back of his head while avoiding Ishanna's eyes.
"We tried… but we weren't able to reach the boy's guardian."
Like Ishanna, Reeves had been an orphan.
As far as Lukham knew, both of them had entered the academy through sheer effort and a stroke of fortune.
During the national examinations, the top ten candidates were awarded full scholarships to any institution of their choice.
Both had chosen Ainsworth.
"I… understand."
"Mm. You've been through a shock. Get some more rest. Let the doctors examine you again, and then we'll discuss the rest."
With that, Lukham rose and headed for the door, shoulders slightly slumped.
His hand paused at the handle.
Lukham glanced back at Ishanna, who remained seated, eyes fixed beyond the open window.
After a faint sigh, Lukham stepped out.
Left alone, Ishanna briefly shifted his gaze to the door before returning it to the sunlight outside.
Then—
[You have gained the abilities of a myth]
[«Divine Foresight» has been strengthened]
[You have encountered the fragment of a myth]
[The fragments of a myth has fallen]
[You have encountered a myth]
He covered one eye with a palm before dropping his hands, and sure enough, it was still there.
It was there the entire time he spoke with Lukham.
Divine Foresight.
Fragmented Myth.
A Myth.
What did any of it mean?
Then again, before losing consciousness in the cave, he had glimpsed.
Of the person who had supposedly saved him.
Although their name was glitched out, he was still able to identify something.
[Myth]
That was what they were identified as..
"Nngh…"
Let's test it.
Ishanna shut his eyes and focused, channeling strength toward his sight.
He felt his eyes tightening as he did.
Should he describe it, it would be like blood rushing towards his eyes at extreme speeds; that was how it was.
When he opened them again—
[Window frame]
• [Description: A metal construct designed to support transparent panels]
• [Length: –]
• [Width: –]
• [Durability: It can last for several more decades before structural degradation.]
[Soft Curtain]
• [Description: Fabric derived from processed cotton fibers.]
• [Length: –]
• [Width: –]
• [Durability: Moderate; susceptible to tearing and environmental wear.]
To some extent, he could analyze materials and where they were sourced from.
Gazing out the window, he gazed towards the sky. But nothing appeared.
Nothing…?
Resting his chin in his hand, Ishanna let his gaze wander until it settled on a nearby tree.
[Tree]
• [Description: Originated from a seed and developed through natural growth cycles into its current form.]
'I see.'
Finally, Ishanna closed his eyes, feeling a little bit of strain welling up in them.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he rubbed it slowly, opening his eyes.
Understanding flashed across his gaze.
There's a limit to the range.
Overusing it is also dangerous.
Ultimately, the wake-up call was that the supernatural actually exists. It made sense.
But how far did it reach? How deep did it go?
Ishanna didn't know.
Now, his curiosity took him there, and he couldn't stop thinking about what happened back then.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push the memory aside.
Just as he was pondering—
Shickkk!
The door slid open, and a bespectacled male doctor stepped inside, approaching the bed.
"I see you're awake."
Ishanna turned slightly and gave a small nod.
"Mm. Thank you for taking care of me."
"No need for thanks. It's the academy's duty to look after its students, isn't it?"
A gentle smile accompanied the reply.
Student…
The word lingered briefly in Ishanna's mind before he refocused on the man before him.
"When will I be discharged?"
"I'd advise staying today so we can continue monitoring you. By tomorrow at the earliest, you should be cleared."
Tomorrow.
Since he wasn't in a rush, he nodded his head; he still needed time to sort himself out too.
He also needed time to gather his thoughts and decide his next course of action.
"Understood. Thank you again."
"It's nothing. Just rest. Considering the extent of your injuries, surviving was nothing short of a miracle."
A faint twitch touched Ishanna's lips.
Miracles, huh?
Right.
His ribs had already shattered, and the bones in his body had broken too.
What's more is that he could still feel his lungs getting punctured and the metallic tang of blood flooding his lips.
If not for his mental resilience, perhaps he'd have needed to go for therapy.
Even now, just thinking about the [Fragment of Aphosis] sent chills down his spine.
"Take care then."
With that, the doctor stepped out, and the door slid shut once more.
Shcck!
Once again, he found himself alone to reflect.
He lifted his gaze towards the TV right next to him. He spotted the remote on the table beside the bed.
Reaching for it, he switched the screen on.
[News]
[Three days ago, the well-known XX Mountain Range tragically collapsed.]
[According to witnesses, a group of college students and their professor were involved.]
[Casualties remain minimal: one confirmed dead and one injured.]
[Authorities report that a landslide may have triggered the cave-in after the group ventured inside.]
[Viewers are advised to exercise caution when exploring high-risk areas…]
So, that's how the government explained it, huh?
That's what this is all about.
Ishanna couldn't say he didn't understand their attempts.
After all, they couldn't particularly report that a giant snake caused the collapse.
Now that he even thought about it, the government had a management force, right?
Could it mean that?
Ishanna paused, placing his hands on his chin, there was no use thinking about it.
Thinking that, Ishanna rested his head on the bed as his consciousness slowly sank.
❝ ❞
It was morning.
Sunlight streamed through the glass panels of Ainsworth Academy Teaching Hospital.
Doctors and nurses moved briskly through the corridors as patients were wheeled in and out of rooms.
At the reception desk—
"Yes, that concludes everything. But please remember to stay cautious at all times."
"I will, thank you.."
Standing in front of the receptionist was Ishanna, who offered a gentle smile.
Tilting his head slightly, his eyes drifted toward the entrance just as the sliding doors parted open.
His professor, Lukham, walked through.
He wore a simple gray shirt with black trousers, rounded glasses resting neatly on his nose.
"You've already been discharged? That's a relief."
A breath escaped him as he pressed a hand to his chest, as a thin bead of sweat visible dropped from his temple.
Ishanna blinked.
[Lukham Miles]
• [Gender: Male]
• [Age: 36]
• [Archeology Professor,...]
In his sight, everything around him faded, leaving only the man highlighted as several words appeared in the air.
Just as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared.
The world snapped back to normal, with Lukham stretching his arms towards the door.
Ishanna nodded.
"Are you sure you're okay to be up and about like this?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
He answered calmly, yet he knew it wouldn't truly reassure anyone.
The professor must have probably thought the same thing. Ishanna thought.
Why the one who faced the greater danger walked away alive, while Reeves, the one facing the least danger did not.
Even Ishanna couldn't explain it.
"Are you still thinking about that?"
He flinched slightly, then gave a slow nod. Both of them released quiet sighs at the same time.
They stepped through the hospital's sliding doors and into the courtyard, moving farther from the building.
Sunlight poured down, shielded only by thin and soft layers of drifting white clouds above.
"Of course, I'm still sad about Reeves."
"Flores… if I recall correctly, he was your closest friend, wasn't he?"
"Mm."
Ishanna voiced that with a hum through his teeth, putting both his hands in his pockets.
As he did, his mind drifted to the last time they talked, with the male telling him to record—
"Wait! Professor, were you able to recover any of the things I brought into that place?"
Suddenly, Ishanna stepped forward and grabbed Lukham by the shoulders, giving him a shake.
The sudden motion sent the professor's glasses sliding down his nose.
His expression shifted to startled disbelief, though he managed a hesitant nod.
"Ah—yes?"
Ishanna's eyes widened.
Slowly, he released his grip, letting his hands fall to his sides before lowering his head toward the professor.
"Thank you. Truly."
Lukham rubbed his cheek awkwardly, tilting his head as if unsure what he had done to deserve such gratitude.
Still, he accepted it with a small nod.
As though recalling something, his brows lifted.
Raising a finger slightly, he gestured for Ishanna to wait.
Ishanna inclined his head in response, watching as Lukham slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope.
Lukham handed it over.
"Flores, this is for you."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"All the documents regarding compensation, along with the academy's formal notice, are inside."
"Of course, the academy will also provide additional support for you—"
Ishanna exhaled softly, holding the flat white envelope between his fingers.
Then he looked up directly at Lukham.
"Professor, I'd like to take an indefinite leave from school."
"Eh?"
Lukham blinked, searching Ishanna's face for even the faintest sign of humor.
He knew the young man rarely joked about such matters, especially if they were serious matters.
Still, he hoped this was one of those rare moments where the male would joke.
Except, it wasn't.
"Are you serious?"
"Mm. It's for a very important matter."
Very important, huh?
Lukham's thoughts reeled back to what happened a few days ago.
His shoulders sagged faintly as he adjusted the round glasses resting on his nose.
"Technically, as a Professor, I shouldn't assist a student in doing this."
He muttered, rubbing the back of his head with a strained expression.
"But… I could submit a report stating you've been psychologically affected."
He cast Ishanna a sidelong glance tilting his head towards the sky as he said those words.
Lukham seemed to be implying something.
Something Ishanna slowly came to realize.
While that was indeed going far as he was a professor of the school. At the same time, it was just what he needed.
"Thank you very much!"
Ahem.
Hearing that word of praise and thanks prompted Lukham to smile like a dad who had seen his child grow up.
Though he'd only known Ishanna and Reeves for two years. No, it wasn't just them.
Lukham was blessed with his class.
As such, for his students, he was willing to go the extra mile, even if it meant going head to head with those crooks.
'Thankfully, I hadn't broken the news to them.'
But...
"What do you intend to do from here on?"
Lukham was genuinely curious.
After what they had witnessed, denying the existence of the supernatural would be foolish.
That meant the supernatural had been hiding under their noses all this time.
And how Ishanna was planning on investigating them... he had no idea.
If Ishanna meant to pursue it… that path would not be safe.
Lukham thought about those temples, but then again, it wasn't exactly safe either.
With this incident, the government would undoubtedly tighten its grip around anything related to those ruins.
"I already have a hint."
"Seriously?"
Ishanna nodded.
Eventually, Lukham dropped it. There was nothing he felt he could do, ever since he left him back there.
To him, he already felt like he had failed as a teacher.
"Alright then, don't... don't just push yourself too much."
"...Mm, I won't."
They had stopped at the gates that led out of the hospital, with both males leaning their backs against a wall.
With a light brush over his clothes, Ishanna pulled his hood up and slid his hands into his pockets.
He began walking away.
Before disappearing down the path.
Ishanna cast a final glance over his shoulder nodding his head to the man as he moved away with purpose.
His destination was none other than his dormitory.
Lukham watched Ishanna leave with a complicated expression on his face.
Just like Margaret.
He also felt a pang of guilt.
"It is my fault."
Lukham thought. Despite affirming that it was a low-risk place, he didn't expect this.
He didn't expect it to become such a high-risk excursion.
Thinking about it, he inserted his right hand into his pocket, bringing out his device.
Slowly, he tapped on the keypad, making punchy sounds.
Pachink!
"Gran, it's me. I have something to ask."
"Yeah, it's about that matter."