Nova slowly opened his eyes, only to close them again when the light above him made his head ache. For a moment, he lay completely still, listening to the soft, repetitive beeping somewhere beside his bed. The air smelled faintly of medicine, and the surface beneath him was far softer than the broken stone he remembered lying on.
He tried to sit up.
A sharp pain spread through his chest before he had even managed to lift his shoulders. Nova immediately dropped back onto the mattress, drawing in a breath through clenched teeth. His ribs hurt, his arms felt heavy, and even the muscles around his neck protested when he attempted to turn his head.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered, barely loud enough to hear himself.
His last clear memory was of the earth manipulator's body swelling with unstable energy. The bully had consumed so many mana crystals that his skin had turned an unnatural shade of red. Nova remembered the explosion, the debris striking him, and his teammates rushing toward him through the dust. After that, there was nothing.
Now he was in a hospital, still alive and apparently in one piece, although his body seemed determined to disagree with the latter assessment.
Nova lowered his gaze toward his arms. Both had been wrapped in clean bandages, and thin tubes ran from needles secured near his wrists. He could see where the doctors had treated the injuries that had left his skin torn and his bones exposed during the fight. The wounds were closed now, but every small movement reminded him how badly he had been hurt.
He raised his right hand a few inches. It trembled under its own weight, forcing him to put it down again.
'Good grief. It feels like I'm trying to lift an entire planet.'
He might have laughed at the comparison if laughing had not threatened to make his ribs hurt even more.
For countless eons, he had watched others endure pain without experiencing it himself. Now, living as a mortal, he understood it rather more intimately than he had expected.
He had wanted to struggle, to risk losing and earn victory through effort. During the fight, Nova had finally experienced something new.
He had been afraid of dying.
The thought should have unsettled him, yet a small smile gradually appeared on his face. He had survived, even if surviving had left him unable to sit up in a hospital bed.
'Perhaps I should avoid getting blown up next time. That sounds like a reasonable improvement.'
He let his head sink farther into the pillow and stared at the ceiling. For a while, the room remained quiet except for the monitor and the occasional distant footsteps beyond the door. With nothing else to do, his thoughts eventually returned to the tournament.
'I wonder if Adam unlocked his ability during the match.'
He knew Adam was capable of more than his nervous manner suggested, but he still had no idea what his awakening would produce.
'Invisibility would suit him. He likes staying in the background, and he barely speaks unless someone talks to him first. Though I suppose that's not enough to determine someone's ability.'
He frowned slightly.
'What if he awakened something completely different? That would be interesting. I should ask him when I see him.'
"That was a very interesting match, darling."
Nova's thoughts stopped immediately.
That voice was impossible to mistake. It carried the same warmth and gentle amusement he had heard throughout his life in Inner Heaven, and although it reached him through his mind rather than his ears, it felt as close as if Freya were standing beside the bed.
"Freya?" he asked, his expression brightening. "Sweetheart, is that really you?"
"Who else would call you darling while you're lying in a hospital looking like you've been trampled by an entire army?"
Nova chuckled and immediately regretted it. He pressed his hand against his chest, wincing until the pain settled.
"Well, that's a rather cruel thing to say to your injured husband. I've only just woken up, you know. A little sympathy would be appreciated."
"I am sympathetic," Freya replied. "I'm also wondering why you thought it was a good idea to keep punching someone who was clearly becoming more dangerous by the minute."
"Because he was trying to kill me. I thought that was a fairly good reason."
"And did you consider retreating?"
"Several times. Unfortunately, he didn't seem interested in letting me do that."
Freya was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, the teasing had softened.
"I watched what happened, Nova. I know you were in danger. Seeing you like that, knowing you had chosen to face it without relying on the power you once possessed, was not easy."
Nova looked toward the window. He could not see much beyond the pale light falling across the floor, but hearing her concern made the distance between them feel greater than it had a moment earlier.
"I'm all right," he said. "Or, well, I'll be all right once I can move without feeling as if my bones are being snapped in half."
"That is hardly reassuring."
"I know." He paused, then smiled. "But hearing your voice helps. I've missed you, sweetheart. More than I thought I would."
"I've missed you too."
Her answer came so readily that he felt his chest tighten for an entirely different reason.
"Then come here," Nova said, his voice taking on its usual playful warmth. "Lie down beside me. I would gladly put up with another hundred broken bones if it meant holding you for a while."
"Don't say ridiculous things. You already have enough broken bones."
"Fine. No more broken bones. I'll settle for a kiss, then. Preferably several."
Freya laughed softly. "You're impossible."
"You fell in love with me anyway."
"Unfortunately for my peace of mind, I did."
Nova smiled at the ceiling. He pictured the small smile she wore when pretending to be annoyed with him and the way her eyes softened when he spoke sincerely.
"I wish we were together," he admitted. "I keep thinking about how we used to float through the universe without worrying about anything. You'd tell me about whatever you were creating, and I would listen, even when I didn't understand why you needed another black hole in your collection."
"I always had a perfectly good reason for making them."
"Of course. And I'm sure every single one of them was absolutely necessary."
"Nova."
"I'm agreeing with you, sweetheart."
She laughed again, and for a little while the hospital no longer felt quite so empty.
"I would love to be there," Freya told him. "But I still have responsibilities in Inner Heaven. Creation doesn't stop because I miss you, however much I sometimes wish it would."
"I understand. I wouldn't ask you to neglect something important just because I'm feeling lonely."
"You still sound disappointed."
"Because I am. Understanding something doesn't mean I have to like it."
"That," Freya said affectionately, "sounds much more like you."
Nova shifted his attention back to the monitor and the bandages covering his arms. The reality of his condition was difficult to ignore, even with Freya distracting him.
"Speaking of things I don't understand," he said, "I've been wondering what Adam's ability might be. It's been bothering me ever since I woke up. Do you have any advice?"
"Yes. Wait until he tells you."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"I was expecting some profound wisdom from the Supreme Goddess of Creation."
"And I was expecting my husband to rest after nearly getting himself killed. It seems we're both disappointed."
He sighed dramatically. "You have become rather strict since I left."
"Someone has to remind you that you're living as a mortal now. Your body has limits, darling. You can't keep treating every injury as if it will disappear the moment you lose interest in it."
Nova glanced at his trembling hand. As much as he wanted to argue, he had no reasonable answer. His body was recovering because other people had treated him, and he was still dependent on the care they provided.
"I know," he said at last. "I'm learning. Slowly, apparently."
"Then give yourself a break. Rest, recover, and allow yourself to enjoy what you've accomplished. You don't need to solve every question today."
"And what should I think about while I'm resting?"
"Me, obviously."
Nova's grin widened. "Now that's advice I can follow."
He closed his eyes and pictured Freya curled against him as they drifted through the quiet darkness between galaxies. There were no duties demanding his attention, no enemies, and no hospital monitors interrupting them. He remembered the warmth of her body and the comfort of being close to the person he loved.
His smile grew so wide that it began to look rather foolish. He even let out a satisfied little sigh, blissfully unaware of how ridiculous he must have appeared lying there with his cheeks flushed and his mouth slightly open.
"You're smiling," Freya observed.
"I'm thinking about you."
"I figured as much."
"I'd rather be doing more than thinking."
"Recover first, darling. Then we can discuss your plans."
Nova laughed under his breath. "I'll hold you to that."
Footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He opened his eyes as the door handle moved.
"Someone's coming," he said quietly.
"Then I'll leave you to your visitors. And Nova?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Please don't do anything foolish while you're recovering."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
"That answer worries me considerably."
Her amusement lingered in his mind for another moment before the connection grew quiet. Nova was still smiling when the door opened.
Two sets of footsteps entered the room. He recognized one voice almost immediately, but instead of greeting its owner, he closed his eyes and made his breathing as steady as he could.
'Perhaps I should pretend I'm still unconscious. It might be entertaining to hear what they have to say.'
It was a thoroughly unnecessary idea, which naturally made it more appealing to him.
"Nova will recover, I don't doubt it," Marcus said as he approached the bed.
His tone was unusually cheerful for someone visiting a badly injured contestant. Nova kept his eyes closed, although the corners of his mouth threatened to rise.
"Wh-when do you th-think he'll wake up?" Adam asked.
Nova recognized the nervous voice at once. There was genuine concern beneath the stutter, and the realization made him hesitate. Adam had seen the end of the fight. Of course he would be worried.
"Hard to say," Marcus answered. "He's stubborn, though. You saw what he managed to survive."
"I d-did. But he was h-hurt so badly."
"That he was. The doctors have been treating him, and rest is what he needs most right now."
Nova considered opening his eyes. He could relieve Adam's worry with a single word. On the other hand, a mischievous thought had already begun forming in his head.
'What if I stay like this for another day or two? The surprise would be incredible.'
But Adam sounded frightened enough already. Nova didn't want to worry his friend for the sake of a joke.
'Perhaps a few more seconds, then.'
A deep laugh escaped Marcus.
Nova had to press his lips together to avoid joining him. Something about the way Marcus laughed made the entire situation seem even more ridiculous, especially when Adam shifted nervously beside the bed.
"S-sir?" Adam asked. "Is s-something funny?"
"Oh, something is definitely funny," Marcus replied.
Nova could almost picture his expression. The guild vice president was enjoying himself far too much.
'He knows.'
Nova tried to maintain his perfectly peaceful expression, but the effort made a small muscle twitch near his temple. He could hear Marcus move closer. There was a brief silence, followed by another quiet chuckle.
"Get up, Nova," Marcus said, still laughing, his deep voice cutting through the room.