Zale was able to get to the hospital in time, and she had already noticed Aelin was already self healing due to being an artificial human. Though Aelin was still getting treated, Zale bit her nails nervously. But finally the doors swung open as the doctors had exited the room.
"She's okay, miss Zale." a doctor responded.
"Really!? I need to see!" Zale quickly pushed past, entering the room.
Once she had stepped foot, there Aelin was sitting on the hospital bed. Awake and calm like her usual self. Though her shirt had been removed for her chest to be wrapped in bandages, Zale's eyes slightly widened by the amount of scars that were marked on Aelin's skin.
Aelin tilted her head in confusion, "Yes, Zale? You look stunned."
"All of those… scars." Zale mumbled.
Aelin chuckled softly.
"Those were all in the past. They don't hurt anymore. There just… there." Aelin replied.
"Are you alright?" Zale asked.
"I'll heal just in time…" she continued to reply.
Zale gulped. But now recapping their battle with Fae, she had remembered something. Right before Aelin had sacrificed herself in harm's way just to protect Zale, she noticed Aelin's grip on Chronos had suddenly jerked. As if she was full of hesitation and sadness. Even if Aelin's cold and dull expression hid it.
"Why did you hesitate before you got hit?" Zale asked, her tone softening.
"Hesitate?" Aelin's eyes widened a bit in surprise.
"Don't lie to me. I noticed last second. Your grip on your longsword just… seemed to hesitate and even die out. What happened just moments before you got stabbed?!"
Aelin stared widely into Zale's eyes. She was caught. But then, she sighed in rather disappointment, though smiling nervously as she looked away. Her head turned to the window.
"Guess you caught me." Aelin said.
"Explain to me!" Zale asked desperately, though her eyes widened as she suddenly noticed a massive scar on Aelin's back. Though it was slightly covered by the bandages, it stood out. Rather than it being an actual scar, it was rather glowing a gold color.
"What… what is that scar?" Zale questioned.
Aelin turned to Zale before glancing at her back.
"It's my representation of my ability, the Chronos mark… I've somehow awakened it at the end of… the Final Ataraxia Exam. The only reason why I hesitated and purposely let Fae took the hit was because… she was my childhood friend. The only friend I had when I was in my childhood, actually."
"Your childhood friend almost killed you…"
"I know… but I had a feeling it was out of anger and betrayal. Not to me… but to her. Even if she did kill me, she had every right."
"But we need you…. We need you to help her, Aelin."
"Right…" Aelin smiled softly.
The room suddenly began to dim, though leaving a purple colored vibe, it was already alarming to the two. The moment they turned to the window, they noticed a whole ink of shadows began to cover the hospital and many other buildings in the City of Reverie.
"Shit… we need to go." Zale said.
Without hesitation, Aelin stood up from the hospital bed. Grabbing her shirt and her tie, buttoning her shirt back on and tying her tie around the collar as Chronos was clipped safely on.
"No more time to waste." Aelin smiled confidently. "Returntobattle."
Zale felt lit up from Aelin's confidence, almost leaving her gasped and excited though refused to make such a fit out of it. Without wanting to waste anymore time, the two quickly headed out of the hospital.