##### ONE YEAR LATER ####
David's eyes opened faintly as he looked around to see he was in an unfamiliar environment. with his meager strength, David sat up on the bed, taking off the oxygen mask, he looked left and right. in that moment, he knew he was in a hospital. Slowly, he stepped down from the bed and walked to a mirror nearby. Stunned he was as he saw a handsome tall reflection of what seemed to be him. His black hair had turned silver, with his physique becoming better than he could imagine.
"Who are you?" David couldn't believe it, he leaned in, his face inches from the mirror a he scrutinized every part of his face. "Wait maybe am asleep or maybe am dead." He slapped himself hard on the cheek that his face turned red.
"God." He groaned in pain. "I really overdid it, but does it mean am not dreaming?"
A young nurse with thick black long hair walked in with her focus on the medical chart she was holding, she saw David looking at himself weirdly in the mirror. She was surprised that a coma patient was woken up without wasting any time, and she rushed to David.
"You shouldn't be standing up."
She took him back to bed, made him lie down, even though David was saying he was alright, she didn't want to listen. After making David lie down, she began checking his blood pressure.
"Everything is ok, it is a miracle you are still alive and awake after a year."
"What!!, a year?"
"Sssh, do you want to cause yourself further injuries?"
At that moment, the thought of Nathaniel came rushing into his mind. "What about Nathaniel?" David asked with concern, all over his face.
"From what I can remember, indeed, there was someone brought in the same time you were, whose name was Nathaniel, if I could remember correctly."
"I've got to see if he is ok," David tried to raise himself, but was pushed back down by the nurse.
"Don't worry, he is ok, you have to take care of your health first." What she said calmed David down. "Now, now, don't get up from this bed until I come back with the doctor to check up on you, understand?" David nodded.
As the nurse left the room with her medical chart, she looked at David again and whispered as she closed the door, "I got my eyes on you, buddy."
For a few minutes after the nurse left, David jumped out of the bed. He cautiously opened the door and looked left and right. As he confirmed the coast was clear, he closed the door behind him and began his search for his friend.
He searched and searched but couldn't find any room with his friend's name on it, for a moment he thought could Nathaniel not be in the same hospital. David then sat on a chair beside him as he wanted to take a break, he then looked up at the door in front of him to see a tag with the name Nathaniel.
"Found it."
As David entered the room the sight of Nathaniel who seemed to be in coma triggered the memory from the demon attack, causing him to feel a heavy headache. David held himself from falling by grabbing hold of the door knob, after a few seconds slowly the headache faded. David approached Nathaniel's bedside his steps slow. Bending down, he gently held Nathaniel's right hand. "Thank God you are alright," David's voice was below a whisper as tears rolled down from his eyes. He stayed by Nathaniel's side for a while, then he remembered he had to return to his room before his nurse start looking for him.
"I will be back buddy," David said, rushing out of the room as he gently closed the door behind him. Panic set in as David realized he'd forgotten which way his room was.
"Am dead," he muttered as he sprinted down the hallway.
As he turned a corner, a little boy blocked his path, engrossed in retrieving a toy. David's tried desperately to stop on his tracks but he couldn't. Time seems to slow as he then launched himself upward on the left wall, using the momentum to carry himself upward. He ran three strides up the wall after getting pass the little boy, he launched himself into a triple spin and landed on one knee, the impact a bit jarring but controlled. Without thinking David pushed off the floor and took off running. The little boy eyes went wild with awe.
David finally got to his room, with his body landed on the bed he took a deep breath of relief with a big smile. It was not long after David arrived that the nurse and a doctor came inside David's room.
"I got lucky." David mind rang as he knew if he was a bit late the nurse would chew him out with her words.
"I see you are doing well David," the doctor was a young man the same age as his father, his tanned skin and brown eyes showed he was from the far north of the continent.
"Yes doctor, I feel fine physically."
"Ok, that's good to hear," the doctor began asking David a series of more questions about his body and mind, David answered without leaving out any details. "Alright get a rest your parents are on their way to see you."
"Ok,"
David's mom waltzed into the room as she could not help but see her son who had woken up from coma. After the school incident, David's parents visited him almost every day as they looked after him, believing within themselves that their son will surely wake up from coma.
"My baby boy," Mrs. John jumped onto David and hugged him tightly. David's father walked in behind her.
"Hey son are you doing, ok?"
"Yeah…but…I can't…. breathe," Mrs. john was hugging David tightly that he could not inhale nor exhale, she did not notice until David said so, she immediately released him from her tight hug.
"Am so sorry are you hurt?"
"Am fine I guess."
"Wow my baby has become handsome," She grabbed hold of David's face with her two as she looked intently, raising David's face up down sideways. David felt as though he would vomit from all this. "Right honey?"
"Yes, he sure has," Mr. John turned to the doctor, they both talked at length as they both knew each other. "How have you been Doctor Patrick, I thank you for taking care of my son this past year."
"There is no problem you would have done the same for your patient to."
"Right, I wanted to ask have you found out why my son changed physically this past year as he was in coma?"
"For now, we have no clue it seems even more mysterious for someone who had his heart stabbed to survive and wake up. it's truly a miracle. You should enjoy this moment rather than looking into unexplainable things, in fact many unexplainable things happen in our world every day."
"What about Lena?"
David asked as he was curious to know how his little sister was doing since he was in coma.
"Ah Lena, she doing alright. She visited sometimes when you were in coma."
"Lena came here."
"Yes, she did."
For a long time, David and his family catches up as they talked in length, well it was mostly his mother who did talk more out of the three of them. It came day break as the doctor came to check up on David as his parents were getting ready to leave.
"Doctor Patrick when can my son be able to return home," Mr. John asked.
"Hmmm, as his healing at an astronomical rate I would say a week."
"Doctor, I wanted to ask is it possible for me to exercise while still in the hospital," David asked as he could not stand losing this perfect body.
"Of course you should, we even have a gym in this hospital I would ask a nurse show you where it is as this hospital is too big to find it yourself."
"I know right." David thought from experience. "Thanks Doc."
"No problem, so I will be on my way to attend to my other patient."
After the Doctor left, David's parent also said their goodbye and left. In the middle of the night David could not sleep, he went out from his room walking up and down out of boredom in the hospital before he knew it, he was the top of the building. From there he could see the whole city shining brightly.
"Wow what a beautiful sight," David thought as he gazed at the city, a cold wind sent a chill down his spine. "it's so cold, but this is a perfect place to check out how much strength my current body possess."
He looked left and right to make sure no one was around, "ok now let begin." David stood upright, closing his eyes the whole area turned pitch black. Breathing in then out with steam coming out from his mouth, a yellow shadow in the same likeness as David stood before him. The yellow shadow pushed itself off the floor at an astonishing speed with a series of punch at David, he dodged each punch as he was pushed back by the yellow shadow.
In that moment David figured out the interval it took the yellow shadow to send punch's flying one after another, he didn't know how to do this before but he just did. So, when the yellow shadow was pulling back it punch in that interval David launched a kick at the yellow shadow. With an instant movement the yellow shadow was able to avoid the kick as it seemed to disappear and appear few steps back. Before it could use another instant movement, David was already in front of it and it got a punch straight on the face and the yellow shadow disappeared so did the pitch black that ingulf the area disappears.
David opened his eyes as his lips curled up, he jumps up with joy and laughter. "I finally beat it." Since David started practicing martial arts, he had never defeated a yellow shadow before and this was his first time. "It seems that I have more physical strength that before."
"What a beautiful display of martial arts." An old and commanding voice came from the shadows.
"Who is there!?" David exclaimed as he was afraid and his left hand shaking furiously, he immediately clenched his teeth and tightened his fist with that his body showed no sign of fear.
"Me, just an old man enjoying the night breeze."
David looked deep into the shadow to see a form emerge as he looked closely the form slowly started to resemble a short old man, as the mysterious person came to light, it was truly an old man in hospital garment holding a bottle of alcohol on one hand and the other under his armpit.
"An old man!!" As his fear blew away like the cold night wind.
"I told you I was an old man why act surprised."
"You scared me almost to death gramps."
"Sorry about that, well I see you were sparring with shadow a yellow shadow at that."
"How do you know that gramps."
"I know one or two about martial arts, and the yellow shadow technique is not something a young boy like you should be able to manifest with the battle ground feeling real."
"I don't understand everything you mean sir, but a yellow shadow isn't that hard to conjure. Most of my martial arts mates could conjure a white, red, and black shadow while I can only conjure the weakest of them all that is what my teachers said."
"Your teachers are wrong, the four shadows used in training the highest ranked and hardest to beat is the yellow shadow not even a forty years old martial artist could defeat it within minutes like you did. What more is that yellow shadow conjurers are rare, let say one in ten million. Well, what are you planning to do with this promising strength."
"Hmmm, listen up gramps am planning to become the greatest Hunter in all of man history. Ha, ha, ha, ha." After finishing what seems like a declaration to David he struck a pose.
"Do you have a katana?"
"No, but now you asked I just remembered something." David remembered seeing a mysterious katana before he fell unconscious. "Could it be he now possessed a katana." David mind popped with possibilities.
"Step back gramps am about to awaken the sleeping tiger in me."
The old man took twenty steps back to avoid any complications.
"Gramps, I didn't say that much, well to avoid injury from my powerful aura ha, ha, ha, ha."
"Shut up and just get over with it brat."
"Yes sir!" David closed his eyes, calming his whole body he slowly whispered. "ECHO."
For a minute nothing happened only the closed night breeze brushed by them, no aura, no katana nothing happened. David slowly opened his right eye to check if a katana was in his hand but he saw nothing.
"What was that I saw then, was it my death wish or something, hmmm," David thought his left hand underneath his jaw.
"So, you do not have a katana then."
"Sadly yes."
The old man walked up to downcast David and touched his shoulder, "You don't need a katana to be a Hunter."
"Wait how. I hope it's nothing shady."
"The kingdom army school has begun enrollment for people without katana to become Hunters but you would have to pass through exams and training, if you fail you would become a knight at best or a trooper at worst." In the kingdom there three ranks in the military the highest Hunters who are elite soldiers that handles gold rank and above cases, knight's handle silver and bronze cases, while the troopers are like police that handle iron case.
"So, when is the registration."
"But there is something you should know registering as a human without katana even though you are aiming for a trooper position you would pay a lot more than a katana wielder."
"How much."
"Five gold coins a month with training lasting three months."
"Five gold coins that's fifteen gold coins in total!!"
"I told you it's expensive for folks like you. That is why only noble's and prestigious family children attend it mostly."
"I don't care when does registration start."
"I think in three weeks' time, anyways kid am heading inside it getting pretty cold out here."
"No prob gramps see you later."
They both waved each other bye as the old man kept drinking as he went down the stairs, David looked up to the full moon with great resolve in his eyes.
A week passed as a flash; David was discharged as he stood at the front of the hospital with his travel bag in hand. He was waiting for his father to come pick him up.
"Hey sonny it's seems today is the day you are leaving us in this wretched hospital." The old man walked up to David with alcohol wrapped inside a black nylon
"You still can't seem to quit the alcohol despite the doctor's warning, gramps."
"Ah, am going to quick stop nagging me."
"Well, if you say so gramps."
"I have something for you as a farewell gift." The old man brought out a small box from his pocket and gave it to David.
"Wow, a toy I didn't know you had a cute side to you gramps."
"That's no toy you bastard." The old man snatched it from David. "Watch and learn." The old man pressed a red button on it and it transformed into a black katana and he pressed it again and it returned back to it original state.
"What the hell is this." David was in awe.
"Just take it and leave brat." The old man said as he left drinking his alcohol.
"Thank you so much gramps." David bowed in respect the old man left.
David's dad arrived with a black car. "David am here." David hurried and opened the car boot after putting his bag there he closed it up and headed to the front seat. As he opened the door, he felt a menacing aura, he turned around but did not see anything rather everyone was going on their daily life. David didn't think much about it and entered the car. As they drove off, from one of the hospital's windows a mysterious black shadow with pure red eyes was staring down at David as they drove off.
When they got home his mom welcomed him with a huge feast that looked like a ten people's meal. After finished eating David decided to tell his parents about his decision to enter the kingdom army school and about the program for non katana wielders without excluding the fee.
"Isn't the fee to high." Mr. John said.
"No doubt it is but it's my dream to become a Hunter and an opportunity is right before my face."
"But what if you did not make the mark of becoming a Hunter."
"That will not happen dad." Mr. John saw his son firm face and knew there was no talking him out of it.
"Alright I will see what I can do." Mr. John gave in.
"Thanks dad."
David walked inside his room he hasn't been in for years and saw it was organized and cleaned, he stood there and knew that it was his mother who did it while he was in coma, with a smile he fell back first on his bed, "It's been long." It was in the evening David put on his earpiece and a sweat shirt and pants and went for jogging as he jogged, he reached an isolated area there he felt a strange aura that made him fall on one of his knees, sweating heavily. The aura was familiar the stench, the murderous intent, "It can't be, a demon!"
The feeling David was felt was a traumatic one as he had felt the same way when their school was attacked by demons.
"Help me!!"
David heard a cry for help deep inside a tree filled area, without thinking David ran in that direction. "What am doing." David could not stop himself until he got there. He froze in fear at the sight of a demon. The demon stood over the young women with it claw ready to slash, it stopped when he smelled another human, being David. It looked at David for a second and then turned it face on the defenseless woman.
"What's wrong with me, I need to move I need to save that woman." David tried to move his body but he froze due to fear and trauma. As he looked the demon raised it claws once again, it then moves its hand to slash the woman's throat.
"Move, you dumb ass." David cried out in tears as the claw almost reached the woman's throat. With instant movement David threw a roundhouse kick that sent the monster flying away.
"Are you alright." David asked the woman but the woman was too afraid that see ran into the woods screaming. Before David could chase after her as it was dangerous for her to run into the woods alone, the demon dashed at David almost striking him with it claw on the face but David dodged it at the last second. The demon began jumping from one tree to another at an astonishing speed causing David a huge damage. David swung his fist several times but couldn't touch the demon.
David calmed himself down as he knew all the swings where futile then he remembered hearing from the old man in one of their talks about martial arts, the ears are a better guide than the eyes to defeat things that can't be seen with the eyes. David closed his eyes as he concentrated his focus to his ears as he now was able to feel his environment more from the falling leaves to the ants crawling around. When the demon launched the attack David stretched out his arm grabbing the demon by the face and smashing it deep into ground, the demon stopped moving. David fell on his back as he lay there with a smile of victory spread across his face.
"I did it!" David cried out." I defeated my first demon!!"
After some minutes David stood up to head home as it was already night. As he turned around to leave the demon he killed was engulfed by a ball of black and red flame, David could not understand what was happening, as he had not heard of demon getting burned up by a strange fire when they are killed. After the mysterious fire extinguished, David saw an unexpected site a naked young handsome man, with black, was kneeling before him.
"Master, what is your will."
"Huh, huh!!!!" David cried out.