A bright light seeped through Yakeru's closed eyelids as he desperately tried to open them. He tried moving his head so it'd be easier to see without getting blinded but didn't have the strength. In fact, his hands, legs, his entire body wouldn't respond to his commands. He couldn't even turn his head without feeling like his neck would break. With his vision blurry and his mind cloudy, he still couldn't figure out if he was dead or not.

Finally, his eyes blinked open. He squinted, waiting for them to adjust before scanning his surroundings in his field of view. The room was pristine, the walls a vibrant green, and the white linens flapped gently from the breeze coming through the open window.

To his right was a glass spherical artifact that seemed to manipulate the air indicated by the faint grey streaks swirling inside the sphere. Attached to it was a tube that ran down its side and connected to the respirator fastened to his face. A feeding tube protruded from his stomach and the side of the bed kept pulsating with a soft green color. All four of his limbs were in casts, his right arm in a sling, and his neck in a brace.

"H...ow did I...get h...ere?...What h...happ...ened...?" his voice came out as a strained whisper.

His mind was still scrambled as he tried piecing together the recent events. He recalled entering that dungeon with another team of rangers. Or was it a dungeon? There he could vaguely make out the image of a creature with a gooey texture. He recalled it becoming increasingly difficult to maintain his balance the further he went into the dungeon though he couldn't find a reason for it. There was also an accessory, a pendant he wore although he couldn't remember what it was for or where he got it from. Perhaps someone close gifted it to him so it had sentimental value?

Then his mind arrived at what he could only describe as a room of violet specks like he was drifting in space with a sea of stars. For some reason, he felt like that place had value but couldn't figure out the reason. He closed his eyes, digging through his muddled memories before a vague shape appeared before him. It was a massive silhouette with eight piercing violet eyes from what he assumed was its head peering down at him. With every movement, the very earth shook and the weight of its unbearable presence was enough to bring him to his knees. His eyes shot open after a wave of memories came flooding back.

The splintering of his bones. The air being ripped out of his lungs. The excruciating tearing of his muscles.

His body remembered everything.

The overwhelming flashbacks sent his heart into a frenzy and a jolt through his body. He reflexively wanted to put a hand over his chest but a sharp pain in his arm demanded he stay still. The bed, once pulsating with a steady, gentle glow, now grew more sporadic in response. For several minutes, he took deep breaths to tame his raging heart, eventually calming himself.

Soon after, the door to his room creaked open and in came what he assumed was a nurse. She was a short-haired blonde woman who carried a tray full of medical supplies and vials. She was about to step inside the room when she made eye contact with the ranger. Her eyes widened as the strength in her hands suddenly disappeared and dropped the tray. The sound of clanging metal and glass shattering filled the room as a mixed expression of relief and panic spread across her face.

She stumbled back and sprinted down the hall. "Doctor! The patient! He's awake!"

Moments later a doctor skidded into the doorframe, nearly tripping over the fallen tray. He wore a look of shock at the mere sight of the patient's open eyes. Yakeru could barely make out the blurry image of a man in a white coat in his peripheral vision. The doctor whipped his head back to the nurse who was panting in the doorway.

"Grab the PIA! Quickly!"

The nurse nodded and darted down the hall.

"Can you hear me?" the doctor turned back to his patient.

"Yeah...What...ha...ppened..." he could barely form a coherent sentence.

"Your party brought you here after what happened. You've been in a coma for four days."

He stared at the ceiling, still digesting the recent events. He wasn't sure who'd survived to bring him here as he passed out before the behemoth was defeated.

"...who...sur...vived...?"

"There were four others. The swordsman is receiving treatment for his foot and his companion has been transferred to a psychiatric ward...I don't think that boy will continue being a ranger."

Yakeru felt terrible for Touma. It was unfortunate he had to see his clan be killed off one by one.

"Fuyu...mi...and...K...Kenji...?"

"The girl is checked into a nearby inn while the other went to inform your family."

"...I...see..."

The nurse rushed back into the room with two devices in hand. In her right was some type of metallic helmet with a clear gem embedded in the forehead while in her left was a glass slab in a plastic casing. She handed the doctor the glass slab before carefully slipping the helmet on Yakeru. He wasn't sure what they were doing and he didn't have the strength to ask.

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The nurse flipped a switch on the side of the helmet and a blue glow emitted from the gem. Soon after, a mysterious force drew an image of a brain onto the glass slab. A couple of red dots appeared over the image. Of course, Yakeru couldn't tell exactly what he was looking at but judging from their expressions, he assumed there was something off.

The doctor looked back at his patient. "You're going to be okay with time. For now, get some rest."

"I'll come to check on you periodically, okay?" the nurse assured him before she removed the helmet and left after the doctor.

Yakeru stared at the ceiling for a moment before his eyelids felt heavier. He heard the faint breeze outside his window before he allowed himself to drift.

*****

Hours later he awoke to the sounds of footsteps in the hallway. They grew louder and stopped in the doorway. A shiver surged down his spine as he felt a cold gaze on him. He still couldn't turn his head without pain in his neck so again he had to rely on his peripheral.

"Yakeru..." an all too familiar voice called out to him, confirming his sister. Only this time her voice dripped with frost.

By her expression and tone, she was torn between scolding him and being thankful he was alive. With the state her little brother was in, she struggled to keep it together, sniffling as she made her approach. In the doorway, he could also make out the outline of a boy holding a staff which he assumed was Kenji.

She pulled up a chair and sat beside Yakeru as a tear rolled down her cheek past her quivering lip. The hurricane of emotions became more than she could bottle up as she broke down. Burying her face in his bedsheets, the room quickly filled with muffled wails. Her trembling body shook the bed while her hiccups and sobs made her speech indiscernible though she seemed to be switching between berating him and expressing gratitude.

"You idiot! Thank goodness you're alive! What's wrong with you?!"

Kenji silently retreated back into the hallway. As much as he wanted to check on his friend, he decided it was best for Akari to be alone with him first. Yakeru could only stare at his balling sister, tears welling in his eyes as the thought of nearly leaving her behind filled him with an overwhelming sense of guilt.

For thirty minutes, she'd soaked his sheets in her tears. Her breathing was still erratic but she'd calmed down enough to lift her head, revealing her swollen eyes.

"I didn't want to believe Kenji when he told me...I'm so glad you're alive."

"...I'm sorry..." Yakeru coughed out. "Every time I go out...I end up...hurting you."

Irritation spread across her drenched face as she clenched his sheets, her knuckles turning white.

"I told you, I don't want your 'sorry'. I want you to come home in one piece! Why is that too much to ask?"

He remained silent as Akari vented. Soon, the same doctor appeared in the doorway, knocking.

"Miss? You wouldn't happen to be his sister, would you?"

She turned to him, his expression softened as he got a good look at her wet face and reddened eyes. She nodded while sniffling.

"There's something I'd like to inform you about. Do you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

She nodded again, following him out in the hall as she wiped her face. Though faint, Yakeru could barely make out their voices.

"...what is it? What happened to him? Is he gonna be okay?" she stifled her sobs.

"Our miners reported gas in the shaft and small tremors but otherwise, we're not entirely sure what happened. His party refused to talk about it. As for his condition, it'll take time for him to recover but I assure you he'll be okay. We performed a brain scan not too long ago and there didn't seem to be any permanent damage either."

He heard an audible sigh of relief from Akari.

"Although, he'll need both physical and speech therapy to fully recover. When he arrived, his body...it didn't look good. He underwent emergency surgery to get multiple bone fragments removed before they were lodged in his ligaments. Several muscle fibers were torn and we had to reset many of his joints. He lost a considerable amount of blood and there were signs of oxygen deprivation as well. Once he fully heals, there'll be some tissue scarring. It may be a good idea for him to retire because if he suffers severe injuries like this again, he'll be crippled for the rest of his life...or worse."

They continued their talk as Kenji finally found the opportunity to slip into the room along with Fuyumi. Her eyes widened ever so slightly when she confirmed for herself that he was conscious.

"You're awake." she tried to remain stoic but the hint of relief in her voice betrayed her. "How're you feeling?"

"I can't move...but I'll be fine...I'm glad you...two are alright."

They conversed for a while before Kenji's curiosity got the better of him.

"Hey, that blue light. What was that?"

Yakeru could hardly raise a confused eyebrow. "...blue...light?"

"You used it to fight the behemoth, remember?"

Yakeru searched his memories and the vague flickering of fire came to mind. He began piecing together the moment he broke the gem to when he blacked out. He could still feel his knuckles crush against the behemoth's cold exterior.

"...it was supposed to be a trump card..." Flashes of the fallen replayed in his head. "...but I guess I used it too late..."

"I see."

A knock on the door made everyone turn their heads, except for Yakeru as his stiff neck threatened to hit him with a wave of pain if he did so.

"Bo!" Kenji blurted.

From what Yakeru could tell, he was using crutches and the support of a nurse to hobble his way over.

"How are you guys feeling?" he asked.

"Fine." Fuyumi gave a straightforward answer. Ironically, this was the only time she'd talked to him at all.

"Good, thanks. How about you? How's your foot?" Kenji asked, looking down at his cast.

"Hangin' in there." he looked over at Yakeru surprised to see he was conscious. "So you really are awake. When I heard the nurse make a fuss about someone waking up, I figured it was you. How are you, Yakeru?"

He took a few seconds to respond, his fragmented mind lagging even when asked a simple question.

"...I'm...doing okay..."

"Good to hear it. I wanted to let you know that there's a gift waiting for you at the mine's entrance so don't leave without it. Think of it as a 'thank you' for saving us."

"I see...Sorry about...what happened with...Touma..." Yakeru squeezed out.

"It's not your fault." Bo glanced down, reminiscing about the times when his shy companion would challenge their leader to a game of Jo-ku before a tear welled up in his eye.

"Are you okay?" Kenji worried.

"I'm fine," he turned his head away and cleared his throat. "W-Well it's good to see that you're doing well, Yakeru. I should get back to my room now."

He tried scurrying away but his foot prevented that. With a look of sympathy, the nurse helped him out the door and down the hall, the tear Bo held back sliding down his face. He sucked in a jagged breath to keep his emotions from leaking out.

'Look what you did old geezer...now who am I gonna play Jo-ku with?'