Jaylen blinked against the harsh fluorescent light, his head pounding like a drum, and his muscles ached, protesting as he pushed himself into a sitting position.
Feeling a gaze on him, he turned to see Yuki lying in the adjacent bed, her expression mirroring his exhaustion. "You look like you're in great condition," he joked, trying to lighten the oppressive atmosphere.
Yuki managed a tired smile. "Says the guy who looks like he wrestled a dragon."
"More like a phoenix," he remarked, rolling his eyes. "I'm surprised you're still talking to me."
Yuki's expression grew serious. "I won't treat you like empty air anymore. I realize that's not how I should treat you. But that doesn't mean I'll willingly become your wife. I'd rather just go with the flow and see what happens. For now, you're someone I just barely tolerate."
Jaylen looked taken aback, but Yuki continued, "Mostly, I don't want to keep disappointing my friends just because I don't want to associate with you. I'll put up with you more for Brandon and Sarah's sake."
Before Jaylen could respond, Brandon's voice cut through the room. "Jeez, thanks for putting up with the baby lizard for us." His tone was as monotone as ever, but a hint of mockery colored his words.
"Hey, who are you calling a baby lizard? You want me to come over there and kick your ass?" Jaylen retorted, struggling to sit up.
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try," Brandon shot back, stepping closer to Jaylen.
"Alright, alright, that's enough, boys," Sarah interjected, pushing their faces apart.
She then moved over to Yuki, her eyes scanning Yuki's body for any injuries. "Yuki, are you alright? It didn't leave any scars, right?"
Yuki gave a bright smile, playing along with Sarah's concern. "There might be a small scar on my leg, but it's alright. Jaylen said he'd love me even more with scars."
Sarah's eyes darkened, a playful yet menacing glint appearing. "That brute! Don't worry, Yuki, I'll put him in his place."
She turned toward Jaylen, rolling up her sleeves as she approached him. "So, you like leaving scars on young ladies, huh?" she asked, cracking her knuckles.
"Huh?" Jaylen looked at her, startled. "W-Wait, Sarah, w-what do you mean? I-I would never—" He raised his hands defensively, a wry smile on his face.
"Really?" Sarah asked, getting a quick, frantic nod from Jaylen. "But Yuki said a small scar would be left on her body, so you're going to have to take responsibility. And while I'm at it, I'll discipline you so you don't do it again."
"W-w-wait, wait, wait!" Jaylen stammered, trying to back away on his bed, but Brandon held him in place. As Sarah raised her fist and began to bring it down on Jaylen's head, she stopped as soft, melodious laughter filled the room.
Everyone turned to look at Yuki, whose laughter had caught them off guard. Jaylen had a soft smile, Brandon's face held a small smirk, and Sarah looked at her with a tender expression.
They all knew that unless Yuki wanted the scar to be there, it would be impossible for any to remain on her body. Yet, they had played along to see their friend smile.
The atmosphere lightened, and for a moment, the weight of their past seemed to lift. In that brief respite, they were just friends, sharing a laugh and a sense of camaraderie, bound by their shared experiences and hopes for the future.
Jaylen adjusted his position on the bed, his face growing serious. "Sarah, Brandon. Yuki and I have something important to tell you and something to give you," he said, his voice steady but filled with an underlying tension. Yuki nodded, affirming his words.
"Alright, lay it on us," Sarah replied, pulling up a chair alongside Brandon. They both sat down, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.
Jaylen and Yuki began recounting the events, starting from their final attacks in their fight. As they detailed what had happened, Brandon and Sarah's faces shifted through a range of emotions—confusion, shock, sadness, and anger.
Jaylen decided to leave out his interaction with the mysterious being. He believed it was better for the group to concentrate on the mysteries involving their friend, Sil, rather than the uncertainties troubling him personally.
Finishing their story, Yuki held out the letters Sil had left for them. She handed the ones meant for Brandon and Sarah, keeping Jaylen's letter in the other hand. Each of them tucked their letters away securely.
The atmosphere among the friends was heavy, laden with unspoken thoughts and lingering questions. Sil had kept so many secrets, leaving them to wonder how many secrets they were keeping from each other.
Sarah was the first to break the silence, letting out a weary sigh. "So, if Sil died sooner than she was supposed to, we need to find out who did it and make them pay."
"If only it were that simple, we would have already avenged Sil," Brandon retorted, his voice tinged with frustration.
"But Sarah does have a point. We should try to find out who's responsible," Jaylen agreed, his determination evident.
"Yeah, well, sorry to burst your bubble, but we don't have anything to go off of," Brandon reminded them, the realism in his words dampening their resolve.
"Hold that thought," Yuki chimed in, drawing their attention.
"What is it, Yuki?" Sarah asked, all eyes now on her.
"Well, it's simple. The only person among us who saw anything is..." She trailed off, pointing her finger back and forth at everyone before stopping it on Jaylen.
Jaylen felt their stares, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. His mind flashed back to that day, the vivid memory playing like a haunting film reel—the explosions, the acrid smell of burnt grass and flesh, the blinding flashes of spells and techniques.
And then, the moment when Sil was—. His stomach churned, and he had to fight to keep his composure.
He was pale and trembling slightly, the mental distress evident in his eyes. He couldn't talk about it. The trauma was too fresh, too painful. The weight of it crushed any words he might have mustered.
Seeing his distress, the others exchanged worried glances. Before they could react, a soothing green light began to swirl around Jaylen, enveloping him in a gentle, calming aura. His tremors subsided, and the color slowly returned to his face.
The nurse approached Jaylen and Yuki, her long, brown hair wild and unkempt, framing her pale skin and heart-shaped jawline. Her brown eyes, shadowed by large dark circles, hinted at sleepless nights.
"Haah, I don't know what you kids were talking about, but I don't think you should continue," said the nurse as she made her way toward them. Her voice was weary yet kind.
"Dr. Riley," Sarah said as she and Brandon stood to greet the nurse.
Waving them off, Dr. Riley reached out and grabbed Jaylen's hand, then Yuki's. After a few seconds, she stood up and addressed both in a tired and lazy tone.
"You two will be fine. You both just need some rest. I also recommend that you," she pointed at Jaylen, "visit a temple or psychiatrist to help with your mental problems."
Jaylen nodded, though it was Yuki who vocalized his thoughts. "We'll take your advice."
Jaylen turned to question why Yuki had answered for him, but the look she gave him told him to keep his mouth shut.
Dr. Riley gave them a quick look before walking away, saying, "Sure, do whatever you want."
The nurses recommendation was because Within temples were special rooms that would create illusions of any event that caused any mental distortion. With it, you could allow others to see the event without having to put it into words. You could also go to a psychiatrist who could do the same except only the psychiatrist could see it.
After a minute, Sarah broke the silence. "So now what? We can't force you to say what you saw, and there's no way you'd ever go to a temple."
"That's where you're wrong," Jaylen replied, his voice firm.
"Huh? How is she wrong?" Yuki asked, confusion evident on her face.
She hadn't interacted with them as much, so she was the most clueless about how different they were from their past selves, except for how much stronger each of them had become.
"It's simple. If you find a temple of the Goddess of Chaos, I'd be more than willing to go inside," Jaylen answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well, how would we have known that, idiot!" Yuki retorted, smacking Jaylen on the back of his head.
"Alright, so we need to find a Temple of Chaos, huh?" Brandon mumbled, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Easier said than done. The number of followers for the Goddess of Chaos was low, to begin with back during the Age of Gods, and now it's even lower," Yuki explained.
"Why is that?" Sarah asked, confused. "Why would a god lose followers? They're a god, for Pete's sake."
"Well, it's because the Goddess of Chaos used a type of energy that is now considered a myth called Chaos Energy," Yuki explained further.
"We know that Chaos Energy isn't a myth," Jaylen chimed in, summoning a small amount of the gray, swirling energy above his hand without using a technique or trusting his instincts.
Seeing the gray energy floating above Jaylen's hand, Sarah remarked, "Well, I guess that's why you need to go to the Temple of the Goddess of Chaos."
Clapping his hands to get everyone's attention, Brandon said, "Okay, we now know what we need to do. For now, Jaylen and Yuki, you guys should head home and rest up."
Earning nods from the others, Brandon rose to his feet, followed by Sarah. They paused for a moment, sharing a glance before Brandon walked over to Jaylen while Sarah walked over to Yuki.
Reaching for their arms, Sarah and Brandon helped Jaylen and Yuki make their way toward where their maids would be waiting.