"Good job distracting it, Hiro," Mira said as she pulled her silver blade from Yuzuki's throat. But I wasn't focusing on her words.
I lunged forward; eyes locked on Yuzuki's bloodied figure as she clutched her throat and chest.
"Yuzuki!" I screamed, grabbing her shoulders, trying to keep her upright. Her body trembled violently, blood slipping through my fingers as I cursed myself for being too slow.
"H-Hiro… what are you doing? That's an enemy!" Mira exclaimed, her voice full of confusion at my actions.
"She is not," I muttered, holding Yuzuki in my arms.
Yuzuki coughed weakly, her red eyes flickering with both pain and recognition. She tried to speak, but blood choked her words. My grip tightened, holding her as steady as I could.
"Stay with me, Yuzuki! I'm not leaving you—not now, not ever!" I shouted, desperation boiling through me.
"Y-Yu… Yuzuki?" I whispered, keeping my hold firm. "It's me… Hiro. I'm here."
Her elemental magic shimmered faintly, then dissolved completely into the air, leaving only the faint scent of blood and iron.
She slowly closed her eyes.
"It… it hurts," she muttered, before her eyes finally shut.
---
[Yuzuki POV]
I looked at the mirror in front of me.
The person staring back had red hair and brown eyes.
Who… who is she? I thought, my gaze locked on the figure.
When I moved, she moved.
But when I looked at my own hair, it was black hers was red.
Strange.
I looked around.
but everywhere I look it was black.
There was nothing but darkness surrounding the place.
The only thing I could see was the mirror.
Nothing else.
How did I come here? I wondered, resting my chin on my hand.
The figure in the mirror did the same.
"Does it matter?"
Then the mirror… spoke.
My eyes widened in shock as its mouth opened.
The lips of mirror-Yuzuki curved into a clever, unsettling smile.
"Does it matter how you came here?" it asked.
"You have a purpose to fulfil."
I froze, my heart pounding. The reflection tilted its head, red hair swaying as if caught in an invisible wind.
"What… what are you?" I whispered.
"Well… I could tell you," it said, its voice smooth, almost teasing, "but…"
A faint light began to seep into the black void around me, illuminating the space in ghostly hues.
"We don't have time," it continued.
"The only thing that matters to us, Yuzuki," it said, its eyes locking onto mine. " Is your… survival till the time comes"
Thud.
Thud.
I trembled.
My whole body ached.
My head felt like it was splitting in two.
A sharp pain stabbed through my throat and chest, like I had been impaled.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Tears welled up as memories resurfaced—the moment I had been stabbed from behind.
Hiro… holding me in his arms, shouting my name.
I tried to sit up.
I was… okay.
The clothes I wore were unfamiliar.
The blanket beneath me, the bed itself—they were unfamiliar too.
This entire place was unfamiliar.
"You're awake?"
A woman stood before me.
I had never seen her before.
She wore a white coat with a green dress underneath. The sharp scent of medicine lingered in the air.
"Stay down, child. You have not fully recovered yet."
I blinked slowly, trying to focus on the woman in front of me. Her face was kind… but lined with exhaustion. There was something in her gaze that told me I was safe.
And yet—
She was afraid of me.
"Ah—" I tried to speak, but what came out wasn't even a proper word. It was a broken, strained sound.
"You won't be able to talk for a while, child," she said gently. "Your vocal cords were severely damaged." She stepped closer, a clipboard in her hand.
My eyes widened.
Severely damaged.
…Well, that made sense. I had been stabbed through the throat.
But then—
Why hadn't my blood element healed it?
I lifted a trembling hand to my neck. Several layers of bandages were wrapped tightly around it.
Even the smallest movement sent a dull ache through my body.
How long…?
The woman seemed to read the question in my eyes.
"You were unconscious for three days," she said softly, looking down at me with calm brown eyes. She placed her hand against my forehead. "Your body was pushed far beyond its limits. Severe blood loss. Mana exhaustion. Internal damage." She paused. "You're lucky to be alive."
Her hand lingered for a moment before she frowned slightly.
"Hm. You have a fever. That's not good," she muttered, pulling her hand away.
"Ugh—"
A cough tore from my throat.
"Just sleep for now, child," she muttered.
I gave a small nod.
As I tried to pull the blanket over my body, I felt the weight of something around my wrists.
I looked down.
Metal handcuffs.
My breath caught.
Slowly, I glanced at my legs.
There were restraints there too.
My red eyes flickered with fear as my breathing grew heavier. I looked back at the woman in the white coat.
She noticed immediately.
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "You're in the academy's medical room. Not… somewhere else."
Her words did not comfort me.
My breathing didn't slow.
If anything, it grew worse.
The doctor seemed to notice the panic on my face.
"They're not punishment," she said gently. "They're precaution."
Precaution.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"For our safety—and yours," she continued carefully. "You lost control. Your body reacted violently to everything we tried to do to save you. We had to restrain you… and suppress your mana."
She adjusted the clipboard in her hand.
"You nearly reopened your wounds twice during surgery," she added. "The restraints—and the suppression of mana flowing into your core—were just enough to keep you stable. Especially considering the illness already present in your body."
Illness
I looked down at my wrists again.
So it wasn't that my element had failed to heal me.
It was being suppressed.
A quiet knock came from the door.
The doctor glanced over her shoulder.
Before letting out a sigh, she shook her head.
"I told him multiple times that visitors aren't allowed," she muttered. "But he doesn't listen."
"Come in," the doctor muttered.
The door opened before she could say anything else.
He stepped inside quietly, as if even the sound of his footsteps might break something fragile.
Hiro.
His clothes were clean—different—but his face wasn't. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His hair was slightly disheveled, like he hadn't bothered to fix it in days.
His eyes found me instantly.
They widened.
"…You're awake," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
The doctor crossed her arms. "I told you multiple times that visitors aren't allowed, right, Hiro?"
"Yes, but I—"
"Yes, yes. I'm giving you five minutes," she interrupted. "Then you're going back to your dorm."
Hiro nodded without taking his eyes off me.
The doctor stepped out, closing the door behind her, leaving us alone.
He approached the bed slowly, as if I might disappear if he moved too fast.
I didn't know what expression I was making.
Anger?
Fear?
Relief?
My hands tightened slightly against the restraints.
His gaze dropped to the metal cuffs around my wrists.
For a brief second, something dark flickered in his eyes.
Then he looked back at me.
"I… don't know what to say, Yuzuki," he said quietly. "I know you can't talk right now. The doctor told me your vocal cords were damaged."
I simply nodded.
After all, I hadn't learned sign language.
"Still… I think a place to start," he swallowed, "is by telling you that I'm so, so sorry."