The sterile white of the Central Hospital felt like a cage.
Three weeks had passed since the Coliseum ran red, and for the 10th Division, the silence was louder than the screams of battle.
In the high-intensity ward, Nyx , kealen and Renji lay encased in regenerative gel. They've been inside for the past 3 weeks.
They hadn't just suffered crushed bones; they had suffered Evo-Collapse. When an Evolith user drains their evo-energy completely, the body enters a desperate survival state. The heart begins to beat at 10x its normal rate—a frantic, rhythmic thudding meant to pump blood which the evoliths user then uses as a fuel for their powers.
If it lasts too long, the heart simply explodes. They were lucky to be alive, but their recovery was a slow, agonizing crawl.
Sloane and Mikasa were in the adjacent wing, wrapped in bandages, their eyes hollow.
Even Vela, was a ghost of herself. She sat in the cafeteria for hours, staring at a plate of untouched food. She killed an Alpha Zethrian which attacked her , but without her team, food had lost its flavor.
In Room 302, Elias sat on the edge of his bed. His body had fully regenerated all he's injuries, but his mind was a shattered mirror. Rook sat in a chair opposite him, his arm in a sling. Between them lay Jaxen, still trapped in a coma, the hum of the life-support machine the only sound in the room.
"We need to get stronger," Rook said, his voice cracking. "Way stronger."
"Yeah," Elias whispered, staring at his trembling hands. "I thought I'd gotten better. I thought I was stronger... But in reality, I was still weak. I watched Kaizen die because I was weak."
Knock. Knock.
The door creaked open. Lyra stood there, clutching a bouquet of lilies and a thermal container of home-cooked soup. She hadn't been in the "Singularity" with Magals, but the gravity pressure of the event had left her pale.
"Hey," she said softly, her eyes searching Elias's. "I brought you this... it's to help you get better."
Elias didn't look up. "Thanks... but I'm fine. I just need some alone time."
The rejection hit Lyra like a physical blow. Her face fell, a shadow of deep concern crossing her features. "Oh... ok. Sure, Elias." She set the flowers on the nightstand and retreated, the click of the door sounding like a gavel.
WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL
The Grand Hall of the White House Council was filled with the elite: Engineers, Sector Commanders, and the heads of the Great Families. At the center of the mahogany table sat Prime Minister Bola Ahmed, flanked by Doc Von and Zane.
"The border is a sieve!" a Sector 4 commander shouted. "Magals walked through our defenses like they didn't exist!"
"And look at the cost," a statistics officer sneered, tossing a file onto the table. "The 3rd Division Captain, Kaizen Flux. A total failure. He died and didn't even kill the target. Why should we give him a hero's funeral? It's a waste of money for a man who couldn't finish the job."
Slash, blood spilled out from the statistics officers arm"haaaa," he screamed, the council went silent it was , Zane who did it "fool, your all bunch of fool
He saved 50,000 people in that's coliseum and you dare talk to him that way....we are having a funeral and anyone I mean anyone who gets in my way will be killed...." Zane replied he's eyes burning with rage
"O....k ...sir.... forgive me" the statistics officers said he's hands trembling, even the other had to watch their tongues or they would be next.
Prime Minister Bola Ahmed leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "The ' Serum.' It can boost a soldier's -capacity by 400%. It's the only way to match the Commanders."
"One more word from you and I'll kill you"zane interrupted, "trying turn soliders into the monster we kill ,fool..... I don't think there's anything else to this meeting is concluded ".
NO one dared talk ...not even the prime minister
"But there's no time to mourn " dock von said,
"It isn't mourning... it's paying respect to a fallen comrade" Zane replied, with a cold tone
But after the meeting ending,
Invitation for the funeral was sent throughout the border, but prime minister and some of the sector commaders wanted to test , the serum on the solider, they were going behind Zane's back .
Authors note: "We often imagine our progress in our heads and stop trying, but reality proves we haven't even taken a first step. Never stop growing, getting better, continue until your current limits are far behind you."