Damien stared at him, processing that statement with visible difficulty. "For three days? You fought constantly for three days?"
"Not constantly," Alex corrected, his pale eyes distant as memory surfaced despite his attempts to contain it. "Sometimes I rested. Sometimes I ran. But when running wasn't an option" He met Damien's gaze directly. "Then I fought. Because the alternative was dying, and I've already done that once. Didn't much care for it."
The casual reference to death delivered with flat honesty that suggested it wasn't metaphorical made both visitors tense.
Gareth spoke for the first time, his analytical voice carrying unusual hesitation. "Professor Harold's medical report indicated combat against multiple S-Class entities. He said your injury patterns suggested repeated high-intensity engagements with threats that..." He paused, choosing words carefully. "...that killed one hundred forty-eight other students."
