Elio's eyes snapped open.
But he immediately squeezed them shut as a sharp throb hammered against the inside of his skull.
The light was too bright, and as he tried to shift his weight, he realized he was lying on a surface that was unnervingly soft.
He forced his eyes open again, blinking through the haze of a massive headache.
"Lord, my head hurts," he groaned.
He soon noticed it wasn't the dark street where he had been cornered.
The space he was in was expansive, a room with brilliant architecture, saturated with the scent of herbs and other things he couldn't name.
He found that he wasn't the only one on a mattress. He could also see other kids like him, some his agemates, and others slightly older. Each was suffering from one thing or another, laid in bed that looked like his.
His eyes darted around from one corner to another, trying to figure where he was and what he was doing there.
"You're finally awake," a voice rang out from behind him, smooth and calm.
Elio bolted up, his heart leaping into his throat. The sudden movement made his head spin and ache, and he scrambled toward the headboard of the bed, his eyes wide and frantic.
Standing by a large window was a man who looked to be in his thirties, dressed in some kind of attire made with thick fur, his long, brown hair cascading down to his collarbones.
He had a warm smile playing on his lips.
"Where am I?" Elio's voice was a strained whisper. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Easy, lad," the man said, raising his hands slightly to show they were empty. "You've been unconscious for quite a while. You're safe. And I'm Gaelius."
"Sofia, you might need to check on this one. He's awake!" The man suddenly yelled.
"Check on w…" Elio tried to talk, but his mind was a scrambled mess of fragmented images; thugs in the dark, a hand on his shoulder, unbearable pain all over his body, moving shadows, and then... nothing.
"How did I get here?" His small voice broke.
Gaelius leaned against a desk by the bed, his expression thoughtful. "An Eighth Year was patrolling the city with his mates for their semester Good Deed Pact. They were checking the deeper, more dangerous parts of the city when they saw a small figure lying unconscious in the dirt. It was you."
The man's eyes searched Elio's face before he continued.
"They perceived something was wrong the moment they entered that street. They noticed how their own beasts reacted to the environment, restless and agitated. They thought a battle had taken place, but there was no one there, only you, on the ground."
Elio felt a lump in his throat.
A battle? He didn't remember a battle. He remembered the tall thug, the stinging slap, the fall, the crushing weight of his own despair, and of course, the burning sensation and moving shadows. Nothing else.
"They retrieved you and brought you here," Gaelius continued. "A general infirmary in their academy. Boy, you've been out for a long time…"
Just then, a figure stepped in, a lady moving with a giant insect hovering and buzzing by her side.
"Oh, he's awake, ugh?" Sophia moved with practicality, immediately controlling her Killer Hornet to start the test procedures.
The moment Elio's eyes set on the Killer Hornet and the beast settled on the little space beside his bed, he reacted violently.
"Ahhhhh! What are you doing?! Don't come closer!" He ranted, shaking on his bed space.
"Relax. It's my beast. She just wants to check a few things." Sophia calmed him.
Who wouldn't be scared, especially in Elio's position?
The beast was a giant insect with large eyes and multiple limbs that looked like death blades. Even its luminous wings looked like they could slice the head of an adult in one swift move. All mashed together with a protective, chitinous exoskeleton capable of absorbing serious damages.
The beast was a true nightmare, without even mentioning its insane agility and special abilities.
Elio forcefully ceased his breath as the beast climbed his torso. He didn't need to be told, one wrong move was all it would take for the sharp limbs to sink into his body.
The beast's eyes suddenly began to glow, pointing two rays of warm light towards his body. The light acted like some sort of x-ray, allowing the beast to check Elio's internal organs and tissues.
"All vital organs are fine. His mana vessels are okay too, but…" She paused when she saw something else tangling with his mana vessels, something dark and…
"But what?" Gaelius immediately interjected.
Strangely, the dark thingy disappeared and she finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"I'm sure he's fine. He must have just lost consciousness."
"Thanks, Sofia. I'll take it from here," Gaelius nodded, then turned his gaze to the small figure laying on the bed.
"I don't... I don't remember," Elio muttered, rubbing his temples.
"What is the last thing you recall?" Gaelius asked gently.
Elio hesitated. He remembered the pain, but looking at the calm, authoritative man before him, Elio felt a surge of caution. He couldn't talk about the darkness. Definitely wouldn't mention anything about that.
"I was walking," Elio began, his voice trembling. "Some scary men stopped me. One of them pushed me to the ground, and I... I think I just lost consciousness. I don't remember anything else."
Gaelius nodded, though there was a flicker in his eyes that suggested he knew there was more to the story. He didn't push, however.
"How are you feeling now?" The man asked.
"I…" Elio grabbed his head. "My head hurts."
"You mu…" Gaelius was cut short when a loud grumble reached his ears.
"Just a silly tummy ache, sire. I should get going." Elio said with a nervous smile, rubbing his small fingers on his tummy.
However, Gaelius' reaction was unexpected. He burst into a loud laughter, one that didn't stop fast.
"Gaelius, keep it down! There are other patients here!" A stern voice warned from the corridor.
With a low tone, "Oh, boy, you sure are funny. You definitely had a rough time and you already want to be on your way? Do you even know where you are and how to travel? What kind of man will allow a kid in such a state to leave, eh?"
"But, sir…"
"Before we talk better, you need to wash yourself and get some food in that growling belly."
"I'll be fine, sire." Elio faked a smile.
"Of course, you will." Gaelius laughed again.
"Your name, little one?" He asked with a warm smile.
"Elio, sir." Elio responded in a heartbeat, too tired and confused.
"Elio, you need to get a serious bath before I can take you to my quarters and have a proper discussion. Unless you wanna stay in the infirmary with the physician's beast, eh?" He ended with a sly smirk.
Elio hesitated. He looked into the man's eyes, his expression filled with suspicion.
"I don't know you, sir. I don't think you're from this so-called infirmary either."
"If you really think I wanted to do something, I'd be done with you a long time ago, especially when you were unconscious." He chuckled and shook his head.
In Gaelius' head, he thought: 'What did this kid go through to have this kind of trust issue?'
Elio climbed out of the bed slowly, still cautious, his legs feeling like they were made of water, and followed the man.
He had his reasons to be cautious, but the man definitely told the truth. He should be dead and not on a warm bed if the man truly had malicious intent.
He had to trust this one. At least, for now.
Once in the infirmary's bathroom, Gaelius instructed an attendant to prepare a tub filled with warm water and soothing herbs.
Elio stood before the large mirror that reflected his ragged, soot stained tunic, making him look even more out of place in such a magnificent setting.
He waited until the door clicked shut, leaving him in silence, before he slowly shed his ruined clothes.
He didn't even have time to marvel at the grand appearance.
His head was filled with so many disturbing thoughts.
Until he heard that sound.
That thing…
————~~~~~————~~~~~———
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