The next morning in the hospital felt quieter than the one before.
Sunlight pushed through the tall windows, casting pale beams across the white floor and metal equipment. Outside, the storm had finally cleared, leaving Ironhaven wrapped in the cold brightness of a washed sky.
Soren sat upright in his hospital bed, slowly flexing his fingers.
His ribs still ached, but the sharp stabbing pain from the day before had dulled into a deep soreness. The doctors had said he was lucky—no major internal damage, just bruising and a surgical wound where the metal fragment had been.
Lucky.
If they knew the truth, they might have used a different word.
Soren glanced briefly at the corner of his vision.
The faint outline of the system interface flickered there when he focused.
Immortal Life Source: 1
It still felt strange seeing that number.
Small.
But real.
A quiet knock interrupted his thoughts.
Before he could answer, the door swung open.
"Soren!"
A familiar voice burst into the room.
Lucas Vale rushed in first.
His younger brother looked exactly the same as always—messy dark hair, academy training jacket thrown over a T-shirt, and the restless energy of someone who hated standing still.
Behind him stepped Mira.
Unlike Lucas, she entered quietly, closing the door behind her as she walked in.
"Soren," she said softly.
For a moment, Soren simply stared at them.
They were safe.
Relief spread through him before he even realized it.
Lucas crossed the room in three quick strides.
"Man, you look terrible," he said.
Soren snorted weakly. "Nice to see you too."
Lucas folded his arms, studying the bandages around Soren's torso.
"They said the crash was huge. A truck hit you guys at full speed."
"Yeah," Soren replied. "I noticed."
Lucas's usual grin faded slightly.
"You scared us," he muttered.
Mira stepped closer to the bed.
Her eyes moved carefully over Soren's injuries, her expression far more observant than Lucas's.
"You're healing quickly," she said.
Soren blinked.
"Uh… yeah."
She tilted her head slightly, as if studying him.
"You should still rest," she added.
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Don't start with the nurse act."
Soren leaned back against the pillow.
"Where are Mom and Dad?"
Lucas immediately pointed down the hallway.
"They're here. Different rooms."
Soren's chest tightened slightly.
"How bad?"
Lucas scratched the back of his neck.
"Dad's got broken ribs and a head injury. Mom's got internal bruising and a concussion."
Soren exhaled slowly.
Alive.
That was enough.
"They're awake though," Lucas continued quickly. "They've been asking about you."
Mira nodded.
"They were relieved when the doctors said you were stable."
Soren swung his legs carefully over the side of the bed.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?"
"Going to see them."
"You're supposed to be resting."
"Yeah," Soren said, standing slowly. "I've heard that."
Mira stepped forward.
"Your balance is still unstable."
Soren paused.
"Thanks, doctor."
Lucas grabbed the IV stand and pushed it along beside him.
"Fine. If you fall over, I'm telling the nurses it's your fault."
They stepped into the hallway together.
The hospital corridors buzzed with quiet activity—nurses moving between rooms, doctors discussing patients, carts rolling across the polished floors.
Soren walked slowly.
His ribs protested every step, but the pain was manageable.
More importantly, his mind remained focused.
The system hovered faintly in the background of his awareness.
Immortal Life Source: 1
It hadn't changed since yesterday.
But it would.
Eventually.
They reached the first room at the end of the hall.
Lucas pushed the door open.
Daniel Vale lay in the hospital bed inside.
Soren's father looked tired.
Bandages wrapped around his head, and one side of his torso was tightly secured with medical support straps. A monitor beside him tracked his heartbeat in steady green lines.
Daniel turned his head slightly when the door opened.
"Soren?"
Soren stepped forward.
"Hey, Dad."
Daniel stared at him for a moment before letting out a breath.
"Good. You're alive."
Soren smirked faintly.
"Nice greeting."
Daniel shifted slightly in the bed, wincing.
"The doctors say you'll recover," he said to Soren. "That's what matters."
Soren nodded.
"Same for you."
They talked for a few minutes before Mira gently tugged on Soren's sleeve.
"Mom's room is next."
Soren followed her into the adjacent room.
Elena Vale was sitting upright in her bed when they entered.
The moment she saw Soren, tears filled her eyes.
"Soren!"
She tried to stand before the nurse beside her quickly intervened.
"No sudden movements," the nurse warned.
Elena ignored her.
"You're alright?"
Soren nodded.
"I'm fine."
She pulled him into a careful hug anyway.
For a moment, Soren froze.
In all his immortal existence…
No one had ever hugged him like that.
He awkwardly patted her back.
"Mom, I'm okay."
She pulled away, wiping her eyes.
"You scared me."
Lucas crossed his arms again.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
The room filled with quiet laughter.
For the first time since the crash, the tension in Soren's chest eased.
Three days later, the hospital finally cleared Soren for discharge.
The doctors insisted he still needed rest, but his injuries had healed surprisingly quickly.
"Teenagers recover fast," one doctor had said.
Soren didn't bother correcting him.
Lucas arrived to walk him out.
"You ready to go home?" his brother asked.
"Definitely."
As they stepped outside the hospital entrance, the cool air of the morning greeted them.
Ironhaven stretched before them, alive and restless as always. Traffic moved through the wide streets, neon advertisements flickered across towering buildings, and crowds flowed along the sidewalks as if the storm from days ago had never happened.
Lucas stretched his arms.
"Man, it's good to be outside," he said.
Soren nodded slowly, adjusting the strap of the small bag slung over his shoulder.
Three days in the hospital had felt longer than it should have.
"Taxi should be here soon," Lucas added.
They walked down the hospital steps and waited near the curb.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Lucas cleared his throat.
"You know…" he said, scratching the back of his neck. "The police said the car's gone."
Soren glanced at him.
"Gone?"
"Yeah. They towed it to the impound yard the night of the crash." Lucas shrugged. "Apparently the front half is completely wrecked. Insurance people are already calling it a total loss."
Soren looked out toward the busy street.
He didn't need to see it to remember.
The crushing impact.
The twisted metal.
The rain pouring through shattered glass.
If the system hadn't awakened in that moment…
He probably wouldn't be standing here now.
Lucas nudged him lightly.
"Truck driver survived too," he added. "Apparently he lost control when the storm flooded the intersection."
Soren nodded quietly.
"Yeah."
A yellow taxi pulled up to the curb.
Lucas opened the door.
"Home?" he asked.
Soren hesitated for just a second.
His gaze drifted upward toward Ironhaven's skyline.
The towering buildings.
The endless movement of people.
The city was chaotic, dangerous, and filled with hidden conflicts.
But it was also something else.
A place where information, power, and resources constantly changed hands.
A city built on value.
Which meant it was the perfect place for the Immortal of Equivalent Exchange to begin again.
Soren slid into the taxi.
Lucas followed.
As the car pulled away from the hospital, Soren leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes for a moment.
His system flickered quietly at the edge of his vision.
Immortal Life Source: 1
Not much.
But enough.
Because his recovery was over.
And the real rebuilding could finally begin.