CHAPTER 41: REVERBERATIONS [2]

Inside a huge infirmary several beds are stationed in a well maintained order.

Pristine white walls framed the room, and violet curtains draped neatly over each window. The sharp scent of alcohol lingered in the air.

Nurses moved from bed to bed, checking on their patients.

Among them, one with striking red hair and equally red eyes paused in front of a particular bed.

Clipboard in hand, she lowered her gaze first to the chart, then to the name engraved at the bedside.

Leon Valentine – Year 1

The young man lay still on the bed, black hair falling across his forehead. His frame was sturdy for his age, but his body was motionless, and his fists locked tight even in unconsciousness.

"No one came to see him today either."

The nurse murmured, running her eyes over his body.

"He looks fine. No injuries, no broken bones... so how did he end up like this?"

Her thoughts drifted back to the night she found him. Leon had been left unconscious right at the doorstep. All alone.

The nurses thought he ran up to them, for help. And got unconscious in the process.

"Sure, there were other students..." she muttered as she filled a syringe, irritation creeping into her tone.

"But they all woke up. Only he’s still lying here. And because of him, I got to do overtime."

That night, Eclipse Academy had been attacked by the Twilight Order.

Dozens of injured students staggered into the infirmary, but their wounds were minor compared to this boy’s condition.

"Damn noble brats."

She spat under her breath, sliding the needle into Leon’s arm.

Her mind flicked to the students who had mocked her even while injured. One in particular... a lecher who kept trying to use his "fainting spells" as an excuse to grope her.

"Ugh. That bastard still haunts my dreams."

She shivered, grimacing at the memory.

Her shoulders slumped.

"If only I’d listened to my mother and never joined Eclipse..."

It was a bitter regret. As the youngest nurse on staff, she’d been through hell in this place.

"Sniffu... sniffuu... all I want is my prince charming to whisk me away..." she sobbed dramatically, wiping fake tears.

"This world is just too cruel for poor little me."

Pssss—

"Hm?"

Her head snapped up at the faint hiss.

"What was that?"

She glanced around. The patients were still, the room silent.

"..."

Where did that sound come from?

"Meh. Not my problem. I don’t get paid enough for this."

She muttered, dismissing it and turning back to Leon.

"Valentine, huh?"

She had heard great stories about House Valentine blood, they were a duke and noble to the core.

For the first time, she really looked at him.

Black hair framed his smooth, unblemished face. His lashes were long, shadowing a straight nose and lips set in perfect stillness.

"...Cute," she whispered.

Her eyes lingered on him longer than she meant to, caught in a reluctant admiration.

"If only the nobles’ hearts were as handsome as their faces..."

Pssss—

"..."

Her eyes twitched at the sound. This time she noticed where it was coming from.

Glancing down at Leon’s face, she saw a slight twitch at his cheek, followed by a faint yellow flash of light.

"What the—"

She blinked, then without wasting a moment, picked up a stethoscope from the table and carefully pressed it against his chest.

"His pulse is alright.."

Still, no sign of him waking.

Removing the stethoscope, she studied his face again. So intently, in fact, that she didn’t notice how close she had bent toward him.

His breath brushed against her cheek, but she ignored it.

Her entire focus was on the subtle contraction beneath his skin.

A sudden spontaneous, involuntary twitch of muscle fibers caused by erratic firing of motor neurons. Such impulses often hinted at unusual nervous system activity, but the strength of this one was far from ordinary.

Her eyes fixed on a spot just above his lips.

Pssss—

Again, the twitch. Followed by that faint yellow flash.

"There it is."

Her breath caught.

"Was that... mana?"

Driven by curiosity, she pressed her finger gently against the spot, waiting for it to repeat.

"Alright, one more ti—"

"Miss, what are you doing?"

"Huh?"

Her eyes flicked upward and froze. A pair of golden eyes stared back at her.

"Could you move?" Leon said evenly.

Only then did she realize how close she was leaning over him, so near she could feel the warmth of his breath brushing against her lips.

Her face flared crimson.

Her body jolted back, and her voice trembled as she stammered,

"I–I–I... oh no, oh no..." composing herself, she simply stated, "don’t get the wrong idea, or I’ll scream."

— — —

Leon’s eyes shot open.

"..."

An unfamiliar ceiling welcomed him, with the scent of alcohol lingering in the air.

The first thing he saw was a red-haired girl leaning dangerously close to him. Her lips nearly brushed his. She was even trying to squeeze his cheeks, and before he could fully process it, she tilted forward as if about to steal a kiss.

Leon froze.

’What...?’

But with his S-rank intelligence, his mind instantly pieced it together.

’She’s... trying to have her way with me!’

A man’s dignity demanded action. He blurted without hesitation.

"Miss, what are you doing? Could you move?"

The redhead jolted upright like she’d been caught in a crime.

’Look at her acting...’

"I–I... oh no, no, no..."

She coughed once, smoothed her skirt in a panic, and blurted the least convincing defense possible...

"Don’t get the wrong idea, or I’ll scream!"

"..."

’What the hell is she even saying?’ he thought, deadpan.

’Forget that... who the hell is she?’

He blinked, still trying to process how waking up from near-death had led to... some stranger nearly having her way with him.

"What are you looking at?"

The red-haired girl demanded, folding her arms tightly over her chest. Her face was still flushed red.

"What?"

Leon snapped back, irritated. From the uniform and the crest stitched on it, he figured she was a nurse and he was in the Eclipse infirmary.

Strangely, he didn’t feel drained at all. Despite supposedly waking up from a coma, his body felt... light, and fresh. Almost as if he’d just had the best sleep of his life.

"Ah," that reminded him.

Turning to the nurse, Leon said flatly.

"I’ll pretend none of what just happened ever did. So answer me one thing..."

The girl loosened her tense shoulders a little, but kept her arms folded.

"What?"

"How long was I in a coma?"

The nurse blinked, then let out a small sigh.

"We found you unconscious outside the gate. Since then, I’ve been the one taking care of you. It’s been... eight days."

"Eight days, huh."

Leon’s eyes narrowed, but his face betrayed nothing.

Inside, his mind was already racing calculations firing at impossible speed..

’Eight days... for just that?’

All he had done was freeze Lucian’s motion. A simple Freezing motion should’ve cost him almost nothing.

He had calculated only one day in coma

But eight days...

Leon exhaled slowly.

"...I messed up."

This world was far too cruel for him.

Leaving the matter aside, he asked.

"Did anyone come looking for me? Possibly a handsome guy named Ethan... or maybe the second princess of Liora?"

The nurse’s eye twitched.

"Handsome guy? Second princess? Haha. Are you feeling dizzy?"

"What?" Leon blinked. He didn’t understand what was strange about his question.

"No one came. Not even anyone from your family," she answered flatly.

"Is that so..."

Leon didn’t feel the slightest surprise.

’Something must have happened in these eight days.’

His mind spun, connecting threads.

’The Twilight Order should be safe. They must have managed to escape... probably lying low right now.’

But another question lingered.

’What about Ethan?’

Something didn’t feel right.

With a groan, Leon shifted his body to the side and climbed down from the bed.

"Hey—hey! We still need to check you up!" the nurse rushed to stop him.

"It’s fine. I feel completely alright," Leon replied.

"I said sit." Her tone sharpened, scolding him like a child. "I’ll call the doctor. After they check you, then you can go back to your dorm."