With great effort, Claire heaved herself up the stairs. She stopped to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down her face. Looking up, she could see the entrance to the roof. Sunlight was pouring through the doorway above, illuminating the dark stairwell. She felt like she had no energy left in her body, but she pushed herself to keep moving.

I’m almost there. Just a few more steps.

She put her foot onto the next step. Using it as a pivot, she lifted her body and crutches upwards. She climbed the remaining steps in the same manner.

Upon reaching the top, she collapsed from exhaustion. She had already pushed herself past her limits to climb the stairs. Her crutches clattered on the floor. As her vision blurred and darkened, the rattling sound of her crutches became faint and distant.

She was staring at a field of flowers. A hand tapped her shoulder. As she turned around, her skirt twirled with her. A giggling girl took her wrist. They ran up a set of glass stairs. She heard her father's voice behind her, calling her name. Turning around, she saw pure darkness. The stairs beneath her feet disappeared and she plunged into a black void.

When she awoke, she found herself lying on the coliseum's roof. Pain flared all over her body. She didn’t even have enough strength to push herself up. Using what little energy she had left, she crawled along the floor.

She stopped at the roof's edge and looked over. The people below appeared tiny.

Will Rebecca miss me?

She choked away tears as she thought about her sister. "I'm so sorry, Rebecca. Your older sister tried her best. She really did."

She sought release from her emotional and physical pain. Anything seemed better than what she felt now - even death.

She inched herself further off the edge. "I'm sorry, Father. I know you told me to be strong, but I can't take it anymore. It's too painful."

With one final push, she closed her eyes and slid off the edge of the roof.

Peace, at last.

***

As Claire fell, she felt weightless. Air rushed against her whole body. Then, something unusual occurred, something sensational. She felt as though she was being embraced.

Warmth soaked into her body. Something soft pressed against her chest. Another heart was beating against hers. The heartbeats seemed to synchronize and beat as one. All her worries faded away. She wished time would stop so that she could relish the moment for all eternity. She wondered if this was how it felt to be embraced by a loving mother. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, so she had only vague memories of her.

She could no longer feel air rushing against her body. Instead, she felt a gentle breeze brush against her. It carried a pleasant scent. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying with her head on the lap of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

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Only an angel could be this beautiful. Then that must mean...

Claire gulped. "Am I in heaven?"

"No, you're on the roof of the coliseum, Claire."

How does she know my name? Is she all-knowing?

Claire recalled pushing herself off the roof's edge. "How am I still alive?"

"I flew after you when I saw you fall. Once I caught you, I teleported us back up here."

Claire stared at the woman. "To be able to fly and teleport... are you an angel?"

"I thought the same thing when I first saw her."

Turning her head, Claire saw a teenage girl standing a few feet away with a dog in her arms. "Who are you?"

"I'm Coco. My master, Alana, was the one who saved you."

Claire shifted her gaze back to the woman. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'm better off dead."

"You're so ungrateful!"

"It's alright, Coco." Alana kept her gaze on Claire. "Why do you want to die?"

Claire's lower lip quivered. "It hurts so bad."

"What if your body was made new again? What would you do?"

“That’s impossible. My body will never be the same.”

“Tell me anyway.”

Now that Claire knew, first-hand, how competitive the Combat Tournament was, she wasn’t sure she could ever win it, even with a healthy body and another four years of training. But if she could fight again, she would give it another shot. She was willing to risk her life to save her sister.

"I would train to fight in the tournament again."

"You crazy woman!"

Alana gestured for Coco to be quiet. "I don’t know your reasons for participating in the tournament, but I’m touched by your unwavering determination. You, more than anyone else, deserve a second chance."

She put her hand on the side of Claire's face. “Healing Touch.”

Claire found the soft and warm hand incredibly soothing. It emitted waves of warmth and energy into her. The waves cleared the fog in her head and washed away the aches and pains in her body. They relaxed and energized every part of her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Alana removed her hand. "Rise up and stand tall."

Claire easily pushed herself up. She looked down at her body and couldn’t find anything wrong with it. When she touched her face, she couldn’t believe what she was feeling. The skin on her face felt perfectly smooth. The deep gash that had crossed it had vanished, as though it had never been there. It seemed too good to be true. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this well. Her body was teeming with vitality.

"I can't believe it..." Claire covered her mouth.

Tears poured down her face.

Alana stood up. "I’m sorry you’ve been feeling so horrible. I’m glad you’re still here.”

Claire wiped tears away from her face. "What did I ever do to deserve your help? Why save a useless woman like me?"

"I didn’t save you because of what you did - I saved you because of who you are. You’re a strong and beautiful woman with great potential - the potential to change the lives of many for the better."

Claire felt as though a flower had blossomed inside of her.

She had just found meaning in her life, beyond saving her sister. “When I lost all hope, you raised me up both physically and emotionally. Thank you.”

“The next time you find yourself in the depths of despair, take a moment to think about what you still have. You can always find something to be thankful for.”

“I’d lost everything.”

“Before I healed you, you still had your sight and hearing, correct?”

Claire was speechless.

She’s right. I’ve been so focused on what I’ve lost that I couldn’t see what I still have.

“And think about what your death would do to your loved ones. It would crush them. Their pain could last a lifetime.”

Claire couldn’t refute the truth in Alana’s words.

She’s right again. Rebecca would’ve been devastated.

Coco, still holding the dog, rushed to Alana's side. "Sorry to interrupt you, Master Alana, but we should hurry. Master Hupo's match is about to start."

Alana placed her hand on Coco's shoulder. "Let’s get going then."

She’s leaving? I didn’t even get a chance to thank her properly!

"Wait!" Claire reached out with her hand.

“You’re still young, so you still have a lot of living to do. Since you’ve already hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. Your life can only get better.” A bright blue light enveloped Alana. “Take care, Claire.”

They vanished, leaving Claire alone on the roof again.