The arena was silent with only the sound of only Assad's labored breathing, blood pooling beneath him.
Everyone was in shock at the display that just happened right in their own faces. Taura and Tasia quickly ran off the top spot to come check on Assad as he was not in a good condition at all.
"Kiichi you bastard, why did you use your ability on him? This spar was supposed to be with no powers." Taura said with some anger on her face.
"Like that concerns you at all, I was just testing the newbie that's all nothing else."
Taura scoffed, "But like that at least you would have beaten him to a bloody pulp not with your powers."
"She's right Kiichi and you know that." Tasia said.
"Yea sure whatever I did wrong but it's not my fault."
Taura's fists were clenched so tightly that her nails were digging into her palms.
"Is this what you call testing? He's bleeding out, Kiichi!"
Assad tried to move, but his body felt like it was made of lead and every breath was a searing pain in his lungs. He could hear the others arguing, but their voices were distant like echoes underwater.
'Tch... I can't... even lift my arm.'
Tasia knelt beside him, her hand pressed against his chest, fingers shaking. "We need to get him to medical right now!"
Kiichi simply turned away, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Then hurry up. Don't waste time blaming me."
Shuren let out another puff of smoke, this one heavier and darker.
"You crossed a line, kid. You might've just crushed his spirit… and if he wakes up, you'd better hope he doesn't remember any of this."
"Yea sure I get it damn." Kiichi said with an annoyed voice.
The soft hum of machines filled the air, accompanied by a slow, rhythmic beep… beep… beep that echoed nearby.
Assad's eyes fluttered open. For a brief moment, all he could see was a blinding, sterile white. The sharp scent of antiseptic stung his nostrils.
As his vision adjusted, he began to understand his surroundings. He was in the medical bay. Bandages were wrapped around nearly every inch of his body.
The last thing he remembered was Kiichi's voice… and an overwhelming wave of pain. Endless, crushing pain.
He attempted to sit up slowly, groaning as his muscles protested. His hand instinctively moved to his ribs, but to his surprise, there was no pain.
"What…?" he whispered, his voice coming out dry and raspy.
He carefully peeled back a section of the bandage on his arm. The skin beneath was flawless. Not a bruise but some scars but they are not that much of them, His heart raced.
'That's impossible.'
Then, a flash of memory struck him. The burning sensation from that night, the moment he fell into that old well, teetering on the edge of death after being publicly burned alive.
He froze.
"It's the same feeling. Just like when I was about to die from the flames."
As he was pondering this the door of the medical bay opened. It's Taura and Shuren. Taura is holding a tray with food and a drink, while Shuren is smoking her cigarette.
"Looks like our rookie sleeping beauty has finally awoken." Shuren said.
Assad looks at the both of them with confused glazes, still trying to understand what the hell is going on? But he had to act normal; he can't let them see him as suspicious. He had to maintain the original Assad attitude.
"Oh hey you two."
"You look good already, did ya sleep well?" Taura said.
"Yea I did thank you."
Shuren takes a chair and sits down crossed legged next to Assad's bed still smoking as usual.
'She is never gonna let go of that cig isn't she.'
Assad is eating the food that Taura gave him slowly. He still wants to act like he is injured so that it does not bring unnecessary attention to him.
"Taura can you leave the room for a minute? I wanna talk with Assad alone." Shuren said.
"Yea sure thing hope you get better Assad."
Taura leaves the room with a wave of goodbye and closes the door. Assad gives the same see a later wave back, but one thing confuses him.
When did they give me that nickname Ace sounds kinda weird.
"Now then, you can stop pretending."
Assad froze.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't act so dumb I know your wounds are already healed, you are just pretending, at first I actually believed you when you were acting but then you slipped up when you took the food off from Taura."
Assad had no words he knew that he was busted, there was nothing he could do. Lying was useless as Shuren's eyes already show that she is telling the truth, not a single lie on sight.
Assad felt his mind go blank for a moment, his fingers twitching slightly as they still gripped the spoon. She noticed it too.
Shuren let out a puff of smoke, the white haze curling up like a ghost hovering between them. "Relax," she said. "If I wanted to report you, I would've done it already. But I'm curious."
Assad narrowed his eyes. "Curious about what?"
Shuren leaned back in her chair, flicking ash into a small tray. "How the hell are you still alive?"
Her words struck him like a knife to the chest. Assad fell silent and every part of him screamed to deny it, to laugh it off, but there was something in her tone… she wasn't just bluffing. She knew something.
She smirked when he didn't respond.
"Don't give me that look. I checked your medical chart myself. Second-degree burns, fractured ribs, punctured lung any normal person would be in a coma, not sitting up and eating porridge."
Assad glanced down at his hands, then clenched them tightly under the blanket. "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying…" Shuren's eyes locked onto his, sharp and unwavering. "...you're not normal. Are you?"
Silence enveloped them. The steady beep… beep… of the heart monitor suddenly felt overwhelming.
Assad managed a faint smirk. "Normal's overrated."
Shuren chuckled softly. "Yeah… that's what they all say before things start burning again."
Assad's expression turned serious. "What do you mean by that?"
She stood up, stretching her arms before making her way to the door. Her cigarette burned low, leaving wisps of smoke trailing in the air.
"You'll find out soon enough, Assad. This place has a way of revealing people's true selves."
Shuren starts walking to the door and opens it as she attempts to exit
"Shuren."
She halted mid-step, her hand resting on the door handle.
Assad's voice was steady, almost unnervingly so. "How can I prove myself?"
Shuren turned slightly, one eyebrow arched in surprise. "Prove yourself?"
"Everything Kiichi said was spot on, I was reckless, but I'm not useless. If you really think I'm worth keeping around… just tell me when I can get my first mission."Assad pressed on, his gaze locked onto hers.
The air between them thickened. Shuren scrutinized him, her cigarette burning low between her fingers. The smoke curled in the air like a barrier between two predators.
Finally, she sighed, flicking the cigarette into a nearby tray. "You don't waste any time, do you?"
Assad remained silent, his silver eyes unwavering.
Shuren approached him again, her boots clicking against the tile floor. She leaned in close, her expression icy and unreadable.
"Listen Assad,you might've survived something that should've taken you out but that doesn't make you special."
She straightened, crossing her arms.
"Stay put for two days and let your body rest, even if you feel fine. After that…I'll fill you in. You'll get your mission."
Assad nodded faintly. "Understood."
"Good." She turned to leave again, pausing just once more at the door. "Oh and Assad?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time you pull a stunt like that… I won't cover for you"
The door slid shut behind her. Assad leaned back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling, a slow grin spreading across his face.
He could feel the heat beneath his skin again subtle, pulsing, alive .Whatever was happening to him… it was growing stronger.