Vin had wished to stay asleep and return to his fictional land. Or, alternatively, to simply cease to exist in any reality.
Unfortunately, neither option was presented.
After a 12-hour slumber, Vin awoke in the same room. The curtains were drawn, but it was black except for a single hanging light. The first thing he saw was Miyo resting on his lap. Whatever repairs he needed were administered, and they'd recovered their form.
It was relieving, yet the matter of his own busted body remained.
A soft yawn near the window gained his attention, and Vin rotated to see a sleeping girl. He quickly recognized her as his sister, Macy, though she looked different than how he'd known her.
Macy's hair was short, and her body looked brawny, even through her hoodie. She looked less like the lady he'd previously imagined and more tomboyish.
It took time, but Vin eventually gained command of his English and called out to her. He clenched the covers in suspense at seeing the entire face of his long-departed sister. To converse with her, the real thing.
Vin called several times before her brown eyes parted. She straightened on the chair, then mushed her face to scrub the fatigue away.
"Macy," repeated Vin, who'd inched forward in his bed. She jerked when she heard him, and her eyes displayed abrupt awe. She glanced upward toward the eager older brother; however, she didn't harbor the same longing.
For the first time in seven years, the siblings had locked eyes. But only for seconds. Macy lowered, then crossed her arms while adverting him. "Hey, Vin," she mumbled.
"H-hey," Vin responded, his face sinking from an underwhelming response. Even in the dim room, he could see her uneasy expression. Nevertheless, he wanted to converse. "I've missed you," resumed Vin, withholding merited tears.
The chair scooched back when Macy stood. Vin became elated at the assumption she would run to his bedside and hug him, though only one of his arms was free to return.
She unhurriedly stepped to his side, and Vin raised his arm in preparation. However, she swung her purse to her front, then rummaged inside for seconds before pulling an item out. "Here," she said softly, handing a card to Vin.
It was a simple credit card. Vin's wobbly hand accepted, but he was unsure why she gave it to him. Before he could inquire, she zipped up her bag, walked around his bed, and toward the exit. Stunned, Vin shouted her name.
Hand on the door handle, she halted. "Sorry, I can't do this," Macy muttered. Her words were sluggish and grief-stricken, and Vin knew there was much he'd missed. He believed there was no way his affectionate sister would turn her back to him without fitting reason.
"What is it?" he questioned. "Did something. Happen?" He added, awkwardly expelling words as if needing to breathe after a few syllables.
Macy released the door, then crouched down. She buried her head into her sleeves, making it difficult for Vin to hear, then began. "Of course, it's been seven years," she said. "A lot has happened."
Seeing her wistful state devastated Vin. He pivoted in his bed, then tried to lower the handrail to disembark but bumbled. He groaned, which alerted Macy, who jumped up and held him still. "Don't try and move yet," she angrily commanded.
"Sorry, I just. Wanted to help- You..." explained Vin, still at a loss for proper language. Macy flinched in adoration but withdrew, then crossed her arms. "You can't help me, so just focus on recovering."
"Please, tell me. What happened. Where's mom and. Dad?" Vin pleaded for answers to make sense of the world he'd returned to. Macy checked her wristwatch, then nervously rubbed her nape in contemplation.
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"The doctor said not to overwhelm you because it could worsen your health..." It was fair justification, but Vin didn't tolerate it; He desired answers. "Macy, please," he begged.
After apparent, painful consideration, she surrendered. The sister pushed lightly against Vin's chest so he would lie down, then she pulled up and tucked in his blanket. Macy hovered over him but continued to avoid his yearnful gaze. She was only 16, two years younger than Vin, yet held the maturity of an adult.
"Things went downhill for our family after your accident..."
"Mom blamed herself for letting you compete, then ran away. Dad took it hard after losing his wife and his favorite prodigal son. He quit racing, started drinking, became violent..."
"I couldn't put up with it, so at 14, I moved away and started living with a school friend. Ended up working part-time and earning money to pay her parents for letting me stay."
"It was around that time that Dad told the doctors to pull the plug on you..." Macy paused and rubbed her shoulders with revulsion. She peeked over to see how Vin managed and glimpsed his jittery face that stared at Miyo.
"Dad-," continued Macy. "Well, he said he couldn't bear the false hope of you waking up."
"It must have been mom who continued to pay for your medical services," explained Macy. Vin didn't know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't that. It was sickening to learn his entire family had crumbled because of him.
"Where's. Mom and Dad now? If they know I'm alive, then we can sta-" began Vin, but he was cut off by his sister. "It's over. They were probably contacted the same as me, and neither of them so much as called."
"If I could just. Talk to them," mumbled Vin. He picked up Miyo, who was asleep and pulled them to his stomach. The warm, flaming phoenix awoke and snuggled up to him within all its familiarity. It was comforting to know at least one thing in his life was unchanged.
Macy rechecked her watch, then slowly retreated from the bed. "Sorry, Vin, I have to go to work. You can use that credit card, but go easy."
As she exited, he shakily asked his younger sister, "Will you. Come back?" She didn't reply immediately, which disturbed him. Still, she faced him and forced a smile before solemnly answering, "Eventually."
That response was more than Vin could ask for. As her big brother, he felt it was wrong to rely on her. Especially if she was experiencing hardships of her own.
The information dump weighed heavy on him, and Vin fell asleep with Miyo on his belly. He was too clouded to wonder how- but could sense the closeness of the creature; it was undoubtedly the same familiar he'd spent the last seven years with.
<>
For the next three days, Vin was subjected to several medical exams and phycological consultations. The general verdict was that he was in no condition to be discharged soon. He was physically weak, psychologically susceptible, and quickly became hysterical whenever separated from his companion.
Eventually, the subject of his coma arose. Vin described his vivid dream and how life seemingly never stopped for him. The general conclusion was that his denial of reality and strong imagination created a new world in his mind. "The brain works in mysterious ways," they said.
It was speculated that a portion of his dream was also influenced by what he heard on tv. With some provided information, his mind filled in the blanks to create "episodes." The same live TV likely provoked a powerful stimulation in his brain that caused him to wake up. The only change in the seven years he was asleep was the broadcast of Seasons island.
Vin, being the race-head he is, was so eager to participate in the world's most anticipated university that he actually woke up from a coma. To some degree, his mind had rejected the synthetic version and collapsed the world.
There were some explanations. But no available science could explain Miyo's abnormality. It was known that SFX summons had a stat page that displayed their physical capabilities and affinity toward their owner. Miyo's ROM, or memory card, was a quarter full despite doing nothing but lying idle for seven years. That meant it was creating and recording memories somewhere else. Even more unusual, it took years to max a summons affinity. Still, Miyo was perfectly in tune with Vin despite technically only meeting once.
Cool story, sure, but Vin didn't have any interest in their diagnosis of him. What he wanted then, more than anything, was to recover.
That school, seasons university, was what brought him back to life. And, knowing his father, he was likely closely monitoring the broadcast. So, Vin made the simple conclusion to attend and gain his parent's attention.
Skating was the bond he had with his father. Vin believed there'd be no way Gavin could resist honoring him if he also joined the pro league. After all, it was all his old man ever wanted. For his son to follow in his footsteps.
He also hoped his mother, wherever she was, could forgive herself if she saw her son continuing his dream.
And perhaps, just maybe, they'd want him again as a son. Then, the four of them could return to being a family. Just as they were before the accident.