The infirmary hummed with a subdued, sterile energy—not completely quiet, but far from loud. The faint, rhythmic beeping of medical monitors and the muffled murmurs of passing staff blurred together the longer I stared at the crisp, white ceiling tiles. I kept blinking hard, half-expecting the air to fracture into those luminescent blue echoes again.
Doctor Sogumi had managed to draw the worst of the heat from my chest, leaving behind a faint, tingling sting that actually felt strangely soothing. She had just stepped out to grab me a cup of water, leaving me alone with the squad and my racing thoughts.
My right leg bounced rapidly against the edge of the mattress, the metal springs groaning a faint, repetitive protest. I squeezed my eyes shut, my thumb aggressively rubbing the same rough patch of the cotton hospital blanket over and over.
I couldn't shut my brain off. We had just arrived on Runivia Island yesterday, and I had already fought for my life against the same maniac twice. But it was more than that—I had actually awakened my Spirit Core. Awakening your core was the very first, massive hurdle to becoming an Elemental Swordsman, and I had somehow managed to do it on my second day at the Academy.
It felt entirely surreal. But beneath the shock, there was a cold knot of genuine fear. This new bloodline ability is very amazing, don't get me wrong, but terrifyingly volatile.
Precognition. Rare. Ancient. The words rattled around my skull like loose stones. I clenched my jaw so tight my back teeth began to ache. What if what Sensei told me is true? What if my core actually shattered the next time I tried to use it?
A heavy hand suddenly tapped the metal footboard of my cot.
"You good, kid?"
My leg immediately stopped bouncing. I snapped my eyes open to find Sensei Ayashi leaning casually against the frame of the bed. His head was tilted, his sharp eyes tracking my white-knuckled grip on the bedsheets.
I quickly let go of the blanket, forcing my rigid shoulders to drop back against the pillows. I wiped my sweaty palms on my uniform pants and forced a light, breathy exhale. "Yeah. I'm good. Just... resting."
Sensei raised a single, highly skeptical eyebrow. He clearly didn't buy it for a second.
Next to my cot, Saki swung her legs off the edge of her visitor's chair. She crossed her arms, her posture shifting from guarded to protective. "Well, Sensei," she chimed in, her voice softening with uncharacteristic sympathy, "he did finally just awaken his Spirit Core. That's a lot for a person's body to process in a single afternoon."
Ging, who was leaning back in his chair eating an apple, paused mid-bite. He sat straight up, adjusting his glasses. "Yeah... I mean, some people's cores stay dormant their entire lives. Heck, mine isn't even awakened yet. Having it awaken while fighting a psychotic swordsman who belongs to a secret underground organization? I'd be a little tense, too."
"I'm not tense," I muttered, quickly crossing my arms over my chest to hide the slight, lingering tremor in my fingers.
"Sure… You aren't," Ging replied with a smirk.
Sensei Ayashi let out a low, rumbling laugh. He pushed off the footboard, his heavy boots thudding against the linoleum as he rested his hands on his hips.
"The kid will be fine," Ayashi stated, flashing a relaxed, lopsided grin that seemed to instantly drain the heavy anxiety right out of the room. "Besides... I am his Sensei. I'm not going to let his brain fry on my watch."
I nodded my head in agreement, but before I could say anything else, the soft swoosh of the clinic doors sliding open drew our attention.
Doctor Yunen Sogumi walked back into the room, holding a crisp paper cup of ice water. She handed it to me with a warm, reassuring smile. I immediately chugged it down, the freezing liquid washing away my lingering thoughts.
She turned her attention to Sensei Ayashi, as she stood professionally with her arms behind her back.
"Both clients Shujinko Ryomen, and Tsume Harasayuki are completely stabilized. Shujinko's Spirit Core temperature has safely leveled out, and Tsume's knee is fully patched up. They're cleared to leave." She tucked a medical chart under her arm, her green eyes shifting to a serious gaze. "However, if either of them experiences anything else, bring them straight back here immediately… Don't try to tough it out."
"Understood. Thanks for taking your time by fixing them up, Sogumi," Ayashi replied, his tone laced with genuine gratitude. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a sleek black pen and a small piece of heavy parchment.
He quickly scribbled his signature with a practiced flourish and handed it over with a charismatic wink. "And here is that autograph you asked for."
Doctor Sogumi beamed, her cheeks dusting a light pink as she carefully took the paper with both hands. "Thank you, Mr. Motoke!"
Sensei chuckled and clapped his hands together. "Alright, squad. Let's get out of here and get back to the dorm."
I swung my legs over the edge of the cot. My muscles were incredibly stiff, but the agonizing, heavy pain from earlier was entirely gone. Saki and Ging led the way out into the hallway, chattering quietly about getting dinner, while Sensei followed close behind them.
I was just about to step through the infirmary doors when a hand suddenly tapped my left shoulder.
I turned around. Tsume stood there, his weight shifted awkwardly off his freshly bandaged knee. He refused to meet my gaze, staring intensely at the floor as his jaw muscles flexed in frustration.
"You need something?" I asked, my voice heavy with exhaustion.
He hesitated. His eye finally flicked up to mine with a look of pure, agonizing reluctance. He swallowed hard, his massive ego practically choking him. "Look... back in the courtyard. You…" He sighed, "you didn't have to jump in front of that blade." He gritted his teeth, the admission visibly paining him. "You saved my life. So... thanks. Just don't think this makes us best friends now, peasant."
I blinked, genuinely surprised by the rare sliver of humility. "You… You're welcome."
He scoffed, quickly turning away to hobble out into the hall. I shook my head with a faint smile and turned to follow the rest of the group.