The sound of a rooster crowing cut through the thin morning mist.
Sunlight slipped through the window, stretching long lines of light across the floor.
Kai opened his eyes.
A plain white ceiling.
No forest.
No smell of blood.
No roar of the orc.
Only… pain.
He slowly pushed himself up…
And immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
"Damn… it hurts… it still hurts so much…"
His body was almost completely wrapped in bandages. His shoulder, arms, ribs….even his thigh. Even the smallest movement sent sharp pain through his body, like his skin was being torn apart.
The wounds from the test were still there.
Not an illusion.
Not a dream.
At the thought of the word test, his heart sank.
He sat still for a few seconds, staring at the sunlight coming through the window.
Everything looked… normal.
Too normal compared to what had happened.
Kai slowly got out of bed and made his way toward the bathroom. The cold floor under his feet made him more awake.
In the mirror, a pale face stared back at him.
Dark circles under his eyes.
Gray, lifeless skin.
A bandage across his forehead.
Kai gently touched the edge of it…
And last night's memories rushed back.
The crowd.
The stares.
The chaos.
And….
"No one will stand with you."
Kai turned on the water. The sound filled the small bathroom.
"What did that witch mean…?" he thought.
"was I the only one who heard it?"
Cold water touched his skin, making him shiver. He lowered his head, gripping the sink.
"Since when did my face look like a deadman?"
He slowly raised his head and looked at himself again.
Those eyes…
They were different.
The innocence from three days ago was gone.
After washing up, Kai put on loose clothes so they wouldn't rub against his wounds, then stepped out into the hallway.
The small house was unusually quiet.
He walked to Duke's room.
Kai knocked lightly.
"Hey… what do you want for breakfast?"
After a moment, a weak voice came from inside.
"Ughhhh….maybe egg…."
Kai could hear him shifting painfully.
"Alright….I'll call you after I finish"
He stood there for a few seconds, then moved to the next room.
Kai knocked again.
"Mike, you awake?"
The door opened almost immediately.
Mike stood there, his hair messy. His upper body was wrapped in bandages, and one shoulder was held in place with a temporary brace.
"What is it?"
"What do you want to eat?" Kai asked
Mike frowned as he moved.
"Anything…egg…bread and stuff… damn it… even moving feels like my body is falling apart…"
Kai gave a small nod.
But he hadn't really heard everything.
His mind was still stuck on the same question.
"Did they hear that voice too…?"
"Hey, Mike… I…"
Kai stopped mid-sentence.
Mike frowned.
"What? You were saying something?"
Kai looked straight into his eyes for a few seconds.
Nothing strange.
No sign of someone who had heard a voice in his head.
Kai shook his head.
"Ah… never mind. I'll go make breakfast."
Mike shrugged and closed the door.
The hallway fell silent again.
Kai walked down to the kitchen.
Morning light filled the small space, shining on the old wooden table. The air felt a little warmer here, mixed with the smell of soap and damp wood.
He placed his hand on the table and stood still.
"Should I tell them…?"
He turned on the tap and washed his hands.
"What if I just imagined it…?"
He watched the water run.
"No… I definitely heard her voice."
The words echoed in his head again, cold like a whisper.
"Why did she only say it to me…?"
Another thought suddenly appeared.
"Or… she want something out of me?, no that not it"
To create doubt.
To create distance.
To create a crack.
Kai clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"…Why…?"
He walked to the fridge and pulled the door open.
Cold air hit his face.
Inside, there were only a few slices of bread, some wilted vegetables, and a nearly expired bottle of milk.
Kai looked around.
"Shit…out of eggs."