Jake opened his eyes to the faint smell of disinfectant and the steady beeping of a heart monitor. His eyelids felt heavy, his body felt even heavier than his eyelids. The last thing he remembered was the sound of the girl's voice, the teachers stepping in from the portal, and then… darkness.
When his eyes finally adjusted, he found himself lying in a clean white bed, sunlight sneaking through half-drawn curtains. The room was quiet, except for the faint hum of machines, until a voice broke through.
"Hey, you're awake," said someone beside him.
Jake turned his head slowly. A boy, maybe his age, sat cross-legged on the bed next to his. His brown hair was messy, his grin oddly wide... too wide. His uniform was wrinkled, but his eyes… they gleamed a little too much.
"I saw what happened," the boy continued. "You were amazing out there. That thing, the demon everyone thought you're going to die when the black smoke covered you."
Jake blinked, unsure what to say. His throat was dry. "Thanks, I guess," he muttered.
The boy leaned closer. "You know… they said the exam was just supposed to be a simulation. But what happened wasn't planned. Some say something broke through from the other side, demons I hear."
Jake's body tensed at that,he didn't respond, and the boy's grin only widened. "We'll be great friends," he said, his tone too casual, too sure.
Before Jake could reply, the door slid open.
"Jake!"
A familiar voice, it was somehow warm, trembling slightly even and then his mother rushed in, at least the mother of the person he transmigrated into. Her eyes were puffy as if she hadn't slept. She ran straight to him, pulling him into a hug before he could even sit up.
"You're okay," she said, her voice cracking. "The academy said the exam went wrong, that there were casualties. I..." she stopped herself, shaking her head. "I'm just glad you're safe."
Jake nodded weakly, caught between confusion and guilt.
Behind her, a man in a white coat, he is probably the doctor stepped in. "He's stable now, although he doesn't have any physical wound, he seems to have lost a lot of blood, but he's okay now. You're free to take him home, but he needs rest. No strenuous activities for at least a week."
"Thank you, doctor," his mother said softly.
The doctor gave a brief nod and left, leaving Jake, his mom, and the boy who was still watching them.
Jake glanced at the boy one last time. The boy just smiled, that same, unsettling smile. "See you around, Jake," he said. "We'll meet again soon."
Then he turned and walked out of the ward, his footsteps echoing longer than they should have.
Jake's mother helped him up carefully, and together they left the hospital.
Outside, the sun was bright, too bright for someone who had just survived hell.
As they stepped into the car, Jake couldn't help but glance back at the building. For a moment, he thought he saw the boy again standing by the window on the top floor, staring straight at him, that grin still there.
Jake shivered and looked away.
-
The drive home was quiet for the most part. The car hummed softly, its old engine gave him a hint of the financial situation of the family he got transmigrated into, that this wasn't one of the gliding vehicles he'd seen around the city. Jake leaned against the window, watching the floating transports above, their sleek metallic bodies cutting through the clouds.
His mother's car, by contrast, stayed grounded trembling slightly each time she changed gears. It told him enough about their financial situation.
After a long silence, Jake finally spoke. "Mom… how long was I out?"
She hesitated, then said, "Three days."
Three days, he let that sink in. He'd lost his arm three whole days and yet his body felt brand new, that girl really did heal him completely, or is she an angel considering the wing.
"What about the academy?" he asked next, turning his head toward her. "Did I… get in?"
For a moment, she didn't answer. Her grip on the steering tightened slightly, knuckles whitening against the leather. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm, almost too calm even.
"You don't have to worry about the academy anymore Jake," she said. "It's not like it's that important."
Jake frowned, that was strange. For someone who had cried over his safety and cared for him, she didn't sound sad that I didn't get in, she almost sound relieved.
The rest of the ride passed in uneasy silence, it was still awkward for Jake to pretend to be her son when in his mind he knows the person besides her is not her son...at least not anymore.
When they reached home, his sister burst out of the front door before the car had even stopped. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. "You scared us, idiot!" she said, her voice trembling between anger and relief.
Jake managed a weak smile and awkwardly patted her head. "Yeah, sorry about that."
Inside, the house looked the same as before warm, unfamiliar, but now it felt better than any of the time he spent on the wasteland, but it also felt strange, the walls, the pictures, the smell, everything seems to be his, yet not.
"I'll go rest," Jake said quietly.
His mother nodded, forcing a smile. "Alright, get some sleep, you've been through enough."
He climbed the stairs and entered his room. The moment he closed the door behind him, he exhaled deeply and dropped onto the bed.
He stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before whispering, "System… show status."
There was a faint flicker in the air, then a crimson shimmer forming words before his eyes.
[Status Loading…]