A few hours later, Alex opened his eyes to see himself lying down on a wide bed.
He tried moving up, but his skull throbbed the moment he tried to move.
To his right, a feminine voice talked. One that he didn't recognize. He didn't even see the lady as his injuries were aching.
While it startled him a bit, the voice seemed to be calm and genuine.
"You slept for quite a bit, even though your injuries weren't anything major."
Alex narrowed his eyes, disappointed at himself. He hadn't thought about how long he'd been asleep for either.
While it was painful, it was nothing that would lead to him dying.
Alex noticed she was mixing something in a bowl, but when he looked at her properly, she didn't seem dangerous or like she was lying. Her eyes seemed tired, dark bags formed under her eyes, making Alex wonder if she had even slept herself.
He turned away, staring at the wall, embarrassment creeping over him. He asked nervously, "Is she alright?"
She turned her head to face Alex. "Who?"
"The red-haired girl." He answered, his voice bitter.
"Oh, you mean Anna," the nurse said casually, her eyes softening. "She's fine—just some minor injuries."
He sighed in relief, feeling the weight lift off his chest. The girl who protected him was okay. But then, the memory of the battle flashed back.
I turned back to the woman, asking, "What about that person that ended the beast in one blow?"
She continued stirring a wide variety of ingredients in her bowl, then answered Alex,
"I guess its true people of Alos don't know about the heroes of the north. That was Lucan, the Silver Knight."
He was confused. Silver Knight? What was that supposed to mean?
***
A couple of days passed with the same routine until he was able to move normally again.
During his stay, he had learned more about the Concepts. The nurse didn't mention anything about the Invokers, so what Anna told him must have been true.
There were eleven different Concepts, but they weren't what gave powers to humans. It was their Soul Mechanism.
People who wield Concepts are called Blanks, referring to the open space in their soul that no normal human could dream to possess.
Their source is unknown, but most say it was bestowed upon them by the Aeon of Wisdom.
Nyren, the Aeon of Wisdom seemed to influence this entire Realm a lot.
"You're free to go now, but be careful next time. Don't jump into fights like that," the nurse said as Alex was getting ready to leave.
"Yeah…" He replied, knowing he didn't go there willingly. But, he couldn't blame the girl for it. He should have made it clear that he was powerless.
The nurse was a Normal, able to use advanced healing abilities. Nothing special—she could heal scratches, but using too much would wear her out.
If used in a large capacity, she would be able to heal even deeper cuts.
Alex wondered if he owned a Soul Mechanism himself.
Once he finished thinking, he took back my clothes from when I was summoned. The nurse had washed them spotless—no stains left.
He also received a black cape from her as a parting gift, to help him fit into society better.
It felt like time to leave. Alex walked toward the door and thanked the nurse for her care. Just as he reached for the handle, a familiar voice came from outside.
"Excuse me."
Alex opened the door in a slow pace.
He froze, confused. He saw the same woman who helped him—the one who sacrificed herself to protect him.
Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Alex that quickly, she thought he would have stayed for a couple more days.
She moved aside so Alex could leave. Before he stepped out, he thanked the nurse again for everything.
Still mixing her ingredients, she smiled faintly as she said, "Just leave."
That small smile gave him an odd sense of relief.
As Alex closed the door, he looked down on the ground as she scratched the back of his head, "I have a lot to say."
He was scared to face her, still embarrassed. But he had to apologize—not just for distracting her but for his cowardice as well.
Alex clenched his hands, kept his eyes down, and nervously said, "Look, Anna. I'm sorry for being a coward and hurting you—"
"No," she cut him off, "It wasn't your fault. It was mine for being too weak… I should've done more."
She continued, "But it's behind us now! So don't think much of it. At least we both made it out alive." Her voice was soft but serious— like someone you could trust.
He finally raised his head to look at her.
She was angry at herself for acting rashly and bringing him into chaos right off the bat.
"You're too kind," He muttered quietly, smiling.
"Huh?" said Anna, not hearing him.
"Don't worry about it," He said, brushing it off. She looked confused but quickly changed the subject:
"Also, how do you know my name?" she asked.
Alex was surprised he let that slip. After a brief pause, he said, "The nurse told me about you."
She raised a brow, before remembering, "Speaking of names, I haven't learnt yours"
"I'm Alex. Just Alex." He decided to leave out his family name, due to what happened before.
Anna nodded, a smile on her face.
"Anyway, I have something important to tell you." she said.
Surprised at the sudden serious turn of events, he was ready to listen. He tilted his head a bit.
She reached out, holding a full-looking bag.
Anna frowned. "As an apology for being late—and almost too late to save you—the Silver Knight sent you some money to cover your expenses."
'How thoughtful. I didn't really need it, but money was important—my pockets were empty after being summoned here. I'd have to repay him if I met him again.'
It would've been better to thank him in person—and to see more of him. Alex only caught a glimpse of his silver hair and unique knight outfit. I was curious what he looked like.
Anna pouted. "He has other matters to attend to. I feel the same, but he's just too busy with knight duties."
"Oh, well. I understand."
They walked down the stairs of the wooden place he'd stayed in and stepped onto the cobblestone street, where he took his first steps into this town, called Alos.
Anna kept rambling about the Silver Knight, going from how he could spend her time doing other stuff, but he chooses to be the hero no one asked for.
Her cheeks flushed. Alex didn't need to ask—her expression said it all.
Anna liked the Silver Knight, romantically. Alex was a bit bummed. But he never had a chance anyway.
Purposely, he put on an uninterested face as she kept complaining—unusual for her, but it was how she acted when opening up to people.
Remembering the time Anna teleported, he asked, "Also, what was that 'activate' thing you did?"
If he wanted to get stronger, he needed to understand that. It teleported them right next to the beast, so it had to be a teleportation type. It would help Alex if he got his hands on such power.
Anna looked at him, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. She came closer and whispered, "I'm a Blank."