A week had passed.
Aeren's eyes snapped open. He stared at the white ceiling, his mind clear, his body free from the haze that had clouded it for days.
An assistant from the Head Healer's team saw his eyes open. He was a young man named Elan, and his eyes went wide with disbelief. He ran to Head Healer Alistair's office, shouting, his voice raw with excitement.
"Sir, Aeren woke up! His eyes are wide open. He's alive!" Elan had never seen someone survive such a brutal state. He and the other healers had watched Aeren's body, knowing he should have died, but some flicker of life, some unexplainable warmth, had made them cling to a sliver of hope.
"What? He woke up?" Alistair looked at his assistant in shock, a hint of professional pride in his eyes. "I thought he was a goner for sure."
"Yes, sir! He's alive! We did it! We pulled him back from the brink of death!" Elan's talent for healing was far greater than any normal student's, which was why Alistair had taken him on as an apprentice.
"Good," Alistair said, a serious expression settling on his face. "Now, go to the prince and tell him. He will be happier than any of us."
"Yes, sir," Elan replied, his eyes shining.
"One more thing," Alistair said, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "Don't let anyone else know about this. We don't know what happened to him, but someone might have tried to kill him. If they find out he survived, we won't be able to save him next time."
"Yes, sir. I won't tell anyone except Prince Arin." Elan nodded, his face firm with resolve.
"Okay. You can go. I'll speak with Aeren and try to get some answers from him."
Aeren's Condition
Alistair left his office and walked toward Aeren's room. His mind was still reeling from the impossibility of the situation. Aeren had looked like a dead man a week ago. How was he alive?
He entered the room and stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock.
"What are you doing?" Alistair yelled.
Aeren was sitting up on the bed. He looked at the old man, his expression completely blank, his face as still as a statue. "I'm leaving."
"Leaving? What do you mean?" Alistair's mind raced. "Your body isn't stable. You shouldn't even be able to sit up, let alone walk." He looked at Aeren's body, which, despite the bandages, looked strangely... whole. It defied all logic.
"I know," Aeren said, his voice a flat monotone. "But mere body pain and nerves can't control me."
Alistair stared, his mind reeling. What the hell? Is it even possible for a human to control their nerves like that? I saw him in a mangled heap a week ago. He's sitting here as if nothing happened. If I hadn't seen his state myself, I would've thought he was perfectly healthy.
"You need at least a week's rest to walk properly," Alistair said, a worried look on his face. "If you try to walk now, your body will break from the inside out."
"You think too much," Aeren said bluntly.
Before Alistair could argue further, they heard footsteps approaching.
"Dr. Alistair, how is Aeren doing?" Arin asked, his voice full of concern.
Arin walked into the room, his eyes going directly to Aeren. He saw him sitting up, alive and well, and let out a long sigh of relief. Arin looked at Alistair and gestured for him to leave.
Alistair looked at the prince, then at the young woman standing beside him, Selevara Veylen. Alistair had heard of the Marquis's daughter. He gave a slight nod and left the two of them alone.
Arin approached the bed, his gaze fixed on Aeren. Aeren, in turn, was looking at Selevara.
"It's been a while, Guild Master," Aeren said, his tone flat.
Selevara looked at him, her expression unreadable. He hasn't changed at all.
Arin looked at Aeren. "What happened to you?" he asked, getting straight to the point.
Aeren looked back at him, his gaze emotionless. "Who are you?" he said. "Oh, right. You're the Guild Master's boyfriend. I almost forgot about you."
Selevara blushed slightly but held her composure, her eyes narrowing. Arin ignored the comment, his face serious.
"I am Arin Verya, the Second Prince of this kingdom, and she is Selevara Veylen, daughter of the Marquis. We know who you are."
Aeren saw both of them for few seconds.
"What do I owe you, my prince?" Aeren asked, his voice devoid of gratitude.
"You don't need to be nervous," Arin said, misinterpreting Aeren's tone. "Just answer a few questions."
"Ask away," Aeren replied.
"What happened to you on the day of the ceremony?" Arin asked.
"I walked to the roof and jumped."
Arin's mind raced, a quiet panic setting in. This didn't fit. In his past life, no one did such things. It was a complete anomaly. "But your mana circulation was completely closed. It was as if you weren't even a living person."
"Oh, that," Aeren said, the words coming out with a chilling casualness. "I closed it myself."
Arin stared at him, unable to comprehend. What the hell? Is he lying to me? Is this a power? Something I never knew about?
"Are you trying to lie to us?" Selevara interjected, her tone sharp with frustration. "Or are you afraid of something?"
"You don't have to be scared of anything," Arin quickly assured Aeren. "The Royal Family will protect you from any hidden enemies."
"No, no, no," Aeren said, a flicker of something in his eyes that could be seen as amusement. "You're misunderstanding something. I really did jump."
Arin and Selevara looked at each other, not believing a word. Arin's patience was wearing thin. "Why did you jump?" he asked again, more directly.
"I wanted to seek an answer."