Eeeeeee—
A thin, high-pitched vibration drilled into my ears, making my teeth ache.
"Is… working… well."
"There… blood…"
"Everyth… norma—"
"Argh!"
I sucked in a sharp breath and forced my eyes open.
I immediately wished I hadn't.
A bald head hovered inches above mine, framed by harsh white lights and an even colder expression.
For a split second, the man looked less like a doctor and more like a vulture in a lab coat.
'Heavens…'
Not exactly the sight you pray for after crawling back from the brink of oblivion.
"Doc?" My voice came out like sandpaper.
"Oh! Kai. You're awake. Good, good."
Doctor Hans straightened up, a flicker of relief crossing his face before it settled back into its usual mask of professional detachment.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I…" My thoughts felt heavy, like I was wading through thick mud. Slowly, the fog began to lift.
I was in an emergency ward. Beds stretched out in long rows, patients scattered between privacy curtains.
Some slept; others groaned in low, rhythmic pulses of pain. The air smelled sharply of antiseptic and that biting, metallic edge unique to hospitals.
"When?" I muttered.
"Kai?" Hans leaned in slightly.
"I'm fine," I said, pushing myself upright.
My body felt sluggish, but the phantom pain of being crushed by the Korga was gone.
"How did I get here?"
"Alex found you unconscious at the First Lord's castle," Hans replied calmly.
"Hugo mentioned something about a mental attack. You collapsed. No visible injuries."
The doctor studied me over the rim of his glasses. "Tell me. Are you hearing any voices?"
I hesitated. The last thing I remembered was clicking 'yes' on that guide message.
Then, something had torn through me, a violent rupture, like my mind had been yanked sideways.
I hadn't even had time to scream before the darkness swallowed me.
I thought I was tricked. But if I had been... I wouldn't be waking up in a hospital.
I shook my head. "No voices. I'm fine." I paused.
"You said Alex brought me?"
Hans sighed faintly.
"Yes. And before you ask, yes, she took your weapons. She claimed you'd know where to retrieve them."
"Agh…" I let my head fall back against the pillow.
'Of course she did.'
Among hunters, it was a tradition. You drag someone out of the fire, you take a little collateral. A reminder of the debt. Of all people to owe...
"You should be grateful," Hans noted, adjusting his charts.
"I am," I replied flatly. "Overwhelmed, actually."
Hans didn't look convinced. "You were under for nearly two hours. What happened out there?"
"I don't know." I exhaled slowly, opting for a half-truth. "There was a statue in the hall. The moment I touched it, everything went black."
"The 'Enchantress of Vel Sintra'?" Hans grew thoughtful, then clipped his pen shut.
"File a report with Hugo tomorrow. Physically, you're stable. Your essence condition remains unchanged, but there are no new abnormalities. I'd prefer you stay the night, but you're free to leave in an hour once Roan evaluates your mental state."
"Alright. Thanks, Doc."
As Hans walked away, I stared at the plain white ceiling. The kind of white that makes your own thoughts too loud. I needed to organize.
First things first.
'Gisella?'
I called out mentally. No answer.
An 'exclusive weapon,' she said, I scoffed.
Not much of an exclusive weapon if you get stolen.
[I am here.]
I blinked.
"Cough—Why didn't you say anything?"
[I am still getting used to it. Your soul.]
"I meant, why didn't you tell me I'd go into a coma after binding? I could have picked a better spot than a monster-infested ruin."
[I didn't know.]
I remained silent, looking around cautiously. I didn't want the staff to think I was a lunatic talking to the air.
[We can talk through thoughts,]
she whispered.
[Or better yet, inside your soul sea.]
'No chance,' I shot back.
'My soul sea is fractured. We can't enter there without things getting... messy.'
[Lean back and leave the rest to me. Just trust me.]
'Not here. Maybe later.'
[...Your call.]
I exhaled sharply. Curtains shifted nearby; a man coughed two beds away.
Nice place to spend my birthday. Well, at least I'm not alone.
[...Oh! Happy birthday!]
Gisella's voice was suddenly cheerful, echoing in my mind.
I tilted my head, keeping my thoughts internal.
'So, you can hear everything I think.'
[Yes.]
That's... uncomfortable.
[Sorry! It's just been so long since I've talked to someone.]
'I haven't forgotten you're the one who pulled me into that trial, Gisella.'
[I'm sorry. But I don't regret it. If you had been as alone as I was, you would have done the same thing.]
'Well, there are actions, then there are consequences,' I thought grimly.
'I don't blame anyone for my own stupidity. I'm the one who dived in knowing the danger.'
Gisella fell silent for a moment.
[You are a strange one.]
'Strange how?'
[You failed a trial. You were cursed with a 'fate worse than death.' And you don't seem to care at all.]
I shrugged.
'I was already dying from the Spirit Body, Gisella. How much worse can a second curse really be?'
[...So you're just stupid? Didn't you hear the guide?]
My eyebrow twitched.
'What could be worse than death?'
[Me. You could turn into a weapon like me for eternity.]
I narrowed my eyes.
'What are you talking about?'
[My memories are fragmented, but I remember... I think I was once a human who was cursed just like you. I failed to gather the seven spells.]
I let out a slow, mental sigh.
'I said I don't blame you, but you're making it really hard to like you. You dragged me into this, and now you're rubbing salt in the wound. What do you actually want?'
[That's more like it,]
Gisella's voice turned calm, purposeful.
[I want to help you gather those spells. Maybe that is the way to my freedom, too.]
'And in return?'
[A partner.]
Silence.
[You have to find them anyway to survive. With my help, you can do it more efficiently. Let's forget what led us here and focus on the problem ahead.]
'First,' I countered,
'I want you to help me cure this spirit body leakage.'
[I can do that. So... are we in the clear? Partners?]
I looked back at the ceiling. The idea of an "adventure" for seven lost spells felt absurd, yet... for the first time in years, it felt like a path forward.
I was a treasure hunter after all.
'Seven spells, huh? Sounds like a hell of a story.'
A small smile touched my lips. If I can cure this curse, gathering those spells might actually be fun.
'Fine. Not like I have anything better to do with my eighteen years. I'm Kai Varkov. Nice to meet you, Gisella.'
[...Nice to meet you, too, Kai,]
she answered, her tone bright and ringing with hope.