"Alright, that should do it."Corgius cut the final wrap of the bandage with a satisfied grin.
"Mmmph! Mmmphhh!"
"I think you went a little overboard, Corgius," Dante muttered, not entirely convinced by the sight before him.
Aaron sat stiffly on the bed, wrapped head to toe in layers of white bandages like a mummy. Only his eyes were left exposed, blinking in silent protest.
"You nobles just don't get it," Corgius said, arms crossed confidently. "This is how we commoners heal wounds. Ain't that right, Aaron?"
"MMMPHH! MMPHHH! MMMPHH!"Aaron flailed slightly, his voice muffled beneath the gauze.
"See? He agrees!" Corgius said, nodding with pride.
Dante tilted his head in curiosity. "Oh… I had no idea there were healing techniques like this. I suppose commoners really do have their own unique ways."
At that moment, Yumi entered the room. She stopped at the doorway, eyes scanning the bizarre scene before her, Aaron, mummified. Dante, fascinated. And Corgius, proudly admiring his work.
"…What exactly are you doing?" she asked, voice flat but edged with judgment.
It seemed that after Aaron had collapsed, his team had refused to flee. Instead of abandoning him, they chose to stay and bring their leader home.
When Aaron had first regained consciousness, he found himself lying in his bed. Pain radiated from his chest, heavy and sharp with every breath. Then, not long after, Dante and Corgius entered the room. One with concern, the other with far too much enthusiasm and a full roll of bandages.
In the end, it was Yumi who undid the bandages, every single one except the tight wrappings across Aaron's chest.
Her hands moved with steady care, quiet and precise. She crouched beside the bed, her red hair falling gently over her shoulder, and reached toward the edge of a cloth strip just beneath his collarbone. Aaron's eyes darted away instinctively, his cheeks burning beneath the layers of gauze that still wrapped his face.
He turned his head sharply to the side, staring out the open window as if the blue sky might somehow distract him from what was happening. But it was no use.
Her scent reached him, clean, faintly floral, like petals in early spring. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
"She smells so good! Dammit, get a grip, Aaron!"His inner monologue was shrieking.
This wasn't supposed to be a moment of flustered tension. He had nearly died. He should be grateful. Stoic, even. And yet here he was, immobilized by the lightest touch of a woman's fingers on his skin.
Yumi, of course, said nothing. Her expression remained calm as always, clinical even, as she snipped through the last bit of gauze and took a step back, inspecting her work with a slight nod.
"How do you feel?" she asked quietly.
Aaron let out a long, controlled breath.
"I'm... alright, I guess." He paused. Then, almost reluctantly, his voice lowered. "But… what about Henry?"
The question changed the entire atmosphere in the room.
The silence was immediate, heavy like a fog rolling in. Dante looked away momentarily, as if bracing himself. Then he stepped forward, his face dark with regret.
"Aaron…" he said. "Henry didn't make it. We did what we could, but... it was already too late."
Aaron's gaze dropped to the floor, and the image of Henry's final moments flooded his mind again, his eyes, wide in shock… the blood, the stillness... the silence.
Corgius folded his arms, voice hardening to hide the grief behind it.
"We can't dwell on it forever. This is what it means to be a Kshatriya. Death comes with the uniform."
Still, he looked down, voice softening. "I didn't get along with the guy... but he didn't deserve to die like that."
Aaron clenched the sheet beneath him. His body still ached, especially his chest, but the dull throb of guilt hurt more than the wounds."I should've been stronger..." he muttered.
Yumi broke the silence with a shift in tone. Her voice was still composed, but now held the weight of moving forward."We've officially passed the Initiation. As of today, we're recognized as true Kshatriya. Which means… we need to choose our divisions."
Aaron blinked and slowly looked up.
"Divisions... Right. There are three, if I remember correctly...Wall Guard, Medical, and Exploration."
"Correct," Dante replied with a firm nod. "The first two are for those who want safety. Medicals stay behind the walls, treat the wounded. Wall Guards protect the perimeter, mostly routine patrols and dealing with minor threats. But Exploration…"
He trailed off for a second, then continued, "It's not for the faint of heart. That's where the strongest go. They fight in the deep zones—uncharted places where Enders thrive."
"Oh, I've heard about that!" Corgius cut in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "They say Grandmaster Gordon himself was in the Exploration Division before being promoted. That's probably how he got so damn strong."
Aaron turned his gaze downward again. The white bedsheet seemed to glow in the soft sunlight that filtered through the window.
"…So this is it," he murmured. "If we pick different divisions, today might be the last time we're all together."
The thought hung in the air like an invisible weight.
He wasn't ready for it, this kind of choice. Not yet.
He had barely begun to grasp what being a Kshatriya meant. His wounds hadn't even healed, and already the world demanded more from him. Safety... or the path of the sword?
Did he want peace... or did he want to be the kind of man who could stop another Henry from dying?
Aaron didn't know the answer yet.
But he could feel the weight of the crossroads rising up in front of him.
And whatever he chose… it would change everything.
Dante leaned forward, folding his arms as he studied Aaron with curiosity."By the way… during that fight with the winged Ender… we saw you. You were flying. Since when could you do that? Grow wings and move like that?"
Aaron's eyes widened as the memory crashed back into him.That moment, so surreal, so overwhelming like it felt almost like a dream.He rubbed his temple with his finger, brows furrowing as he tried to recall every detail."I… I honestly don't know," he admitted slowly. "I remember hearing a woman's voice. Just when I was cornered, right before that Ender's lightning spear came at me. She whispered something in my ear. Told me to absorb its essence. And then suddenly, I felt something… awaken."
He looked down at his hands, almost expecting them to spark with violet lightning."My body just… moved on its own. As if it already understood how to use that power. My muscles, my instincts… all of it felt natural."
Yumi, who had remained quiet all this time, finally spoke, her voice calm but watchful."We've already reported the incident to Grandmaster Gordon," she said. "He's classified that creature as a new species, he named it 'Honorless.' A Winged Humanoid class Ender."
"'Honorless,' huh?" Aaron repeated, the name lingering on his tongue like something bitter."Yeah… that makes sense. It struck without warning, didn't even hesitate. Though… I don't think Enders ever cared about things like honor to begin with."
Corgius suddenly leaned in with a smirk."And Gordon wants to see you personally," he said, wagging his finger teasingly. "Better be ready, Aaron. They might open up your body like a test subject."
Aaron nearly choked."Oi! That's terrifying!"
"Relax, relax. He just asked you to report to him. Probably," Dante added, though his voice wasn't particularly convincing.
Yumi turned toward the door, her expression softening as she looked back over her shoulder."I still have a lot I want to talk to you about," she said quietly. "But you're still injured… so I'll let you rest for now."
Her voice lingered a moment in the air before she stepped out.
Corgius was next to leave, stretching his arms with a yawn before flashing a grin at Aaron."Alright then, we're heading out too. If you need anything, don't be shy to pound on my door like you're about to break it down." He gave Aaron a light pat on the shoulder, careful not to hit anywhere bandaged.
Dante followed behind, calm and composed as always. "Get some rest. I'll bring you lunch and dinner later," he offered with a small nod before quietly slipping out.
The door closed with a soft click, leaving Aaron alone in the stillness of his room.
He slowly laid himself back onto the bed, eyes tracing the worn patterns on the ceiling. The room felt quieter than before, not just in sound, but in presence. A strange emptiness that settled in once the voices were gone.
He let out a long sigh.
"I guess… I should really avoid getting myself hurt next time," he muttered dryly, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. "Because recovery like this… is so boring."
He stared at the ceiling a moment longer, letting silence answer him, before closing his eyes to rest.
"Oh? Have your little companions finally left, my dear master?"
Aaron's eyes snapped open. He jolted upright, scanning the room in confusion.
"Up here," came the voice again, playful, yet eerily calm.
He tilted his head back and gasped.
There, floating in the air above him, was a young woman perched gracefully on a levitating staff. She had long, silver white hair that cascaded down her back in silken waves, with faint lavender highlights glowing under the dim light. Her crimson eyes shimmered with otherworldly intelligence, narrowed slightly in amusement. She wore an elegant white and violet robe that flowed like mist, accented with gold patterns. Beneath it, her slender legs were wrapped in black stockings laced with ornate gold markings, and her shoes seemed almost like gilded talons.
She looked like a being carved from divine moonlight, equal parts ethereal and mischievous.
Aaron instinctively reached for the sword that wasn't there.
"Who... are you?" he asked, his voice still hoarse.
The mysterious woman tilted her head with a playful smirk, her legs swinging gently in the air as she sat upon her staff like a queen on her throne."My name is Vivian… As for the details…" She winked cheekily and stuck out her tongue, turning slightly as if speaking to someone beyond the fourth wall."You'll find out… in the next chapter!"
Aaron's brow furrowed, jaw slightly open."Oi! What do you mean 'next chapter?!' And who the hell are you talking to?!"