When I woke up the next morning, the hospital staff checked over again. To prevent them from finding out about Aurora's existence, I made her hide in my body. She grumbled, but obeyed.
The hospital staff must've learned their lesson this ti, because they sent doctors and nurses who were also Awakened. None of them were that powerful, Second Ranked at most, but it was better than dealing with regular people.
Not because I looked down on regular people, but because I might accidentally kill them. As a Sixth Star martial artist, I could easily level buildings if I felt like it. I was in a weakened state, thanks to the coma, but I was still dangerous to deal with.
A part of wondered why they hadn't sent Awakened doctors and nurses when I first woke up. Maybe they had underestimated because I had been in a coma for so long.
Regardless, after they finished checking over, the doctors and nurses said that I was in fine health. My body was still weakened, since I was in a coma after almost dying, but otherwise I was fine. I just needed to rest and recover, before going through so physical therapy. Afterwards, I would be in perfect shape.
Ah, the wonders of magic and dicine. Plus, the physique of a Sixth Star martial artist. I survived a blow that would've pulverized a regular person, along with the entire area around them.
After the exam, most of the doctors and nurses left. One nurse remained behind to give a sponge bath, which I found embarrassing enough. However, what made things worse was that Logan witnessed all of it.
It turned out that while I was in a coma, my teammates took turns watching over . They wanted to be there when I woke up. Despite the abysmal diagnosis, none of them lost hope.
This made feel even guiltier for wanting to return to Lumina as soon as possible. However, it also motivated to find a way to travel between Lumina and Earth. That way, we wouldn't be separated anymore.
After the sponge bath, the nurse dressed in a hospital gown before fetching so breakfast. They got so thin oatal, since I hadn't eaten in months and it was easy to digest.
When I finished, the nurse took the dishes and left alone with Logan. I avoided looking in his direction, but I saw him smirking at from the corner of my eye.
"Not a word," I said through gritted teeth.
Logan raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Hey, I didn't say anything," he said.
I rolled my eyes and looked at him.
"Just shut up and help stand up."
Logan frowned.
"You're supposed to be resting," he said.
"Yes, but I don't need to be in bed for that," I said. "Besides, I've done enough lying around for the past several months." I gave him what I hoped looked like a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I just want to walk around the room a little."
Logan sighed.
"Maybe we should get a physical therapist for you sooner rather than later."
Despite his words, Logan stood up and walked over to help . I nodded my thanks. He supported from one side, while Aurora erged from my body and supported from the other.
What ca next was one of the most difficult and frustrating monts of my life. Almost dying to the Demon Lord, and spending the next several months in a coma, had left weak. However, I underestimated just how weak.
For a while, my legs refused to support my weight. I felt like a newborn foal. However, I persisted with help from Logan and Aurora. After several failed attempts, I managed to stand up through my own strength. Of course, walking proved to be just as difficult and frustrating.
Rather than walking around the room, I walked over to the window and called it a day there. I sat down at a nearby chair and gazed out towards the forested hills. I found the sight soothing for the soul. Logan fetched a blanket, before sitting down himself. anwhile, Aurora curled up around . Despite her size, she wasn't as heavy as I feared.
"Where are we, by the way?" I asked, still looking out the window. "As in, where is this place located?"
"Rural Washington," Logan said.
I nodded. So, we were still in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. As one of the most powerful hunter guilds in the world, the Vanguard Guild had branch offices all over the globe. However, their main headquarters were located in Seattle, Washington.
"Thank you," I said. "All of you, for everything. Words can't convey how grateful I am to all of you, but I wanted to say thank you regardless."
I looked at Logan.
"Pshaw," he said. "There's no need to thank us. That's what we do. We look out for each other."
"Regardless, I'll find a way to repay you guys for this," I said.
Logan snorted.
"That's not necessary."
"Yes, it is. If only to show my appreciation."
Logan opened his mouth, but then paused.
"Well," he said, stretching the word out. "I don't know about the others, but there is one way you can repay ."
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Let pet your familiar."
Aurora hissed at Logan, but he remained unperturbed.
"Aurora is my familiar, yes," I said. "However, she is neither my pet nor my servant. She is my partner and companion. I won't force her to do anything. Whether or not she lets you pet her is up to her. I will respect her wishes on the matter."
Aurora snorted at him, before she turned her head away in a huff.
"Aw, but she's so cute and adorable," Logan said. "I can't help but want to pet her."
Aurora perked up at this.
"Well, you may be crude and vulgar, but you show great discernnt," she said. "Fine. For Gabriel's sake, I'll allow you to pet . Once."
Logan grinned, before he reached over to give Aurora a gentle pet on the head. My familiar let out a pleased sound. Despite his size, or maybe because of it, Logan learned how to control his strength from an early age. This control served him well when he Awakened and beca a hunter.
"How are the others?" I asked. "Is Himiko still upset with ?"
Logan grimaced and didn't say anything. That was all the answer I needed.
"Of course she's still upset," I said. "You guys stuck around even though there was little chance of waking up. And what was the first thing I did after waking up? Tell you guys that I want to leave." I sighed. "I am a terrible friend."
Aurora nuzzled my cheek in an attempt to comfort .
"Well, I won't deny that we were upset when we heard that," Logan admitted. "A part of still is. However, Himiko… Well, it's different for Himiko."
"Why?" I asked.
Logan gave a serious look.
"Do you really not know?" he asked. "Or are you just pretending?"
I shook my head.
"I really don't know."
Logan sighed.
"Right. You don't have much experience with this sort of thing." He paused. "I'll just say this. Himiko's feelings for you are stronger than they are for the rest of us. I love you, but as a friend."
The answer hit like a brick to the face.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringent.
"You an…?" I asked, unable to finish my question.
Logan nodded.
"For how long?"
"A while now."
I rubbed my face.
"Fuck," I said. "No wonder she left yesterday, considering what we were talking about."
"Yeah, that was on all of us," Logan said. "We were inconsiderate towards her feelings."
I closed my eyes and wondered what to do next. As bad as I felt, learning about Himiko's feelings towards changed nothing. I loved her as a friend and comrade, but that was it. I wasn't in love with her, nor would I ever be. The only woman in my heart was Anna.
My heart clenched when I thought about my fiancée. I yearned for her, the sa way a fish yearned for water. Without her, I felt like I was suffocating. We spent ti apart before, but not like this. Worst of all, she didn't know if I was alive or not. In her shoes, I'd go a little insane. Perhaps more than a little.
"Aurora," I said. "How did you end up here on Earth?"
That was what I wanted to know the most. If Aurora could travel to Earth at will, then maybe I could too. And vice versa.
From the way Logan perked up, he wanted to hear the answer as well.
"I followed the silver thread," my familiar answered.
Logan and I looked at her in confusion.
"Silver thread?" I asked.
Aurora nodded.
"I found it thanks to Grandpa Darius," she said.
I frowned.
"Perhaps you should start from the beginning," I said. "What happened after Ash pulled my soul out of my body?"
Aurora's expression turned sorrowful.
"Lord Sandstrike brought you back to Sandstrike Castle," she said. "Cally healed your body, but you still wouldn't wake up. We tried everything we could think of, but none of it worked. It wasn't until Grandpa Darius arrived that we found out that your soul was missing."
I blinked at her.
"Wait, how long has it been since the battle with Lady Isabel and Ash?"
"About a month, give or take. I don't know how long it took to reach this place."
Oh fuck. I needed to return to Lumina as soon as possible. I hadn't realized I had been gone that long.
"What's this about a silver thread?" I asked.
"Grandpa Darius told about it," Aurora said. "After examining you, he realized that your soul was still connected to your body. The silver thread is that connection. He told that I could use it to find you, since I'm a spirit." She nuzzled her head into my chest. "He was right. I followed the silver thread and here you are."
Excitent thrumd through . If Aurora followed that silver thread to my soul, then maybe I could follow it back to my body on Lumina.
"Is that why you ended up back here, Brandon?" Logan asked.
I glanced over at him.
"What do you an?" I asked.
Logan frowned.
"I don't know much about magic and souls and all that," he said. "However, if there was a silver thread connecting you back to your body on Lumina, maybe there was one that connected you to this body. Maybe you can use that to travel between Earth and Lumina."
I stared at him for several long monts.
"Logan, you're a genius!"
If he was right, and I hoped to the gods he was, then I could travel back and forth between Lumina and Earth. After that, I just needed to find a way to physically travel between the two realms.
"Aurora," I said. "Can you examine my soul and tell if there is a silver thread connecting to this body as well?"
"No."
I blinked at her in surprise. Before I could ask why, Aurora burrowed her head in my chest. As in, she put her entire head inside my chest but left the rest of her body outside. Logan stared at us, both horrified and fascinated.
'Aurora,' I said telepathically, speaking to her through our bond. 'Why did you say no?'
My familiar didn't respond. Instead, she burrowed even deeper, until only half of her body remained outside.
"This is so freaky," Logan said. "It's like sothing out of a horror film."
I nodded, before I reached up to stroke Aurora's body. Well, what remained outside of mine.
'What's wrong?' I asked. 'Why aren't you saying anything?'
Aurora mumbled a reply.
'What was that?'
'I said no,' Aurora said, pouting. 'I don't want to.'
I held my frustration in, though I was sure Aurora felt it through our bond.
'Please tell why,' I said. 'This is important to .'
Aurora didn't say anything for a while. So much so, that I feared she wouldn't respond at all. She spoke up just as I started to say sothing else.
'I don't want to find a silver thread. If I do, you'll want to co back here instead of staying with us in Lumina. What if you decide to stay? I don't want that to happen.' She said this next sentence in a small, quiet voice. 'I don't want to be abandoned again.'
I sent out feelings of love and reassurance through our bond.
'That won't happen,' I said. 'I love you and everyone else in Lumina. Yes, I want to visit Earth from ti to ti. I have people important to here too. However, if I had to choose between Lumina and Earth, I would pick Lumina.'
In an ideal situation, I wouldn't have to choose between the two. I'd pick both. That was one of my long-term goals. However, I ant what I said. If I had to pick between the two, I'd pick Lumina, as much as it pained to admit. It was my ho.
Aurora pulled back, until her head erged from my chest.
"You an it?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Yes," I said. "I'd never abandon you."
Aurora studied for several monts, before she nodded.
"Very well," she said. "I'll take a look."
With that, my familiar leapt into my body and disappeared.
"I understand how she feels," Logan said. "It's sothing and the rest of our team are going through right now."
"Logan," I said, before he put up a hand to stop .
"Before you say anything, let get my piece out."
I paused, before nodding. Logan took a mont to gather his thoughts.
"We went through hell waiting for you to wake up," he began. "Everyone said it wouldn't happen, but we held out hope anyway. We waited for months, each of us taking turns to wait by your side. Day in and day out." He let out a bitter chuckle. "You know how I felt when I received Francis' ssage, saying you were awake? Like I got back a missing piece of my heart." He tapped his chest. "So, you can imagine how I felt when you said you planned on leaving again."
I felt a hand squeeze my heart and I looked away.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"Look, I understand," Logan said. "Your situation is complicated. You're quite literally torn between two worlds. I get it." He shook his head. "It just sucks that we're not your first choice."
"That's why I want to find a way to travel between Lumina and Earth," I said. "I would love for you guys to et my loved ones on Lumina, and vice versa."
I think Luminans would have an interesting reaction to Logan in particular. While there were people with brown and dark skin on Lumina, it wasn't to the sa degree. I'll admit, when I first saw a black person, I thought they looked strange. However, it didn't take long to get over that particular culture shock. At the end of the day, skin color mattered less than character.
"That would be ideal," Logan said, pulling out of my thoughts. "But admit it. If you had to choose between Earth and Lumina, you'd pick the latter."
I hesitated, before I nodded.
"I'm a terrible friend, aren't I?"
Logan shook his head.
"No, you're a man who misses his ho. I can't bla you for that, no matter how much it stings."
His words just made feel even guiltier. Silence fell over us. However, just before it grew awkward, Aurora poked her head out of my chest.
"I found it!" she declared. "It was a little difficult, since your soul is still inside this body, but I found it. There is a silver thread."
I sighed with relief. Good. That ant I could travel between Lumina and Earth. I just needed to figure out how to go about it.
"You wanna go find Francis?" Logan asked. "Maybe he can help you figure out this whole…" He wriggled his fingers. "Soul traversal, transmigration business."
I frowned, tapping my chin with my finger.
"No," I said. "I'll talk with Alysha first. Regular magic doesn't affect souls. Holy magic, on the other hand, does."
So did demon magic, as demonstrated by Ash when she ripped my soul from my body. However, I wasn't going to open that particular can of worms.
"Co on then," Logan said. "Let's go. Alysha should be done with her morning prayers by now."
I shook my head.
"No," I said. "I can wait. While I'm in a hurry to return to Lumina, I'm not in that much of a hurry. I haven't seen you guys in months, and I want to spend so ti with you all before I leave."
Logan grinned at . It made uneasy.
"Co on," he said. "Where's your ambition? Your drive? Let's go find her right now."
My unease deepened.
"Logan, I can barely walk. What makes you think I'll be able to make it to wherever Alysha is right now?"
Logan's grin widened.
"Who said anything about you walking?"
With that, Logan reached over to pick up.
"Don't you fucking dare!"
Logan ignored and grabbed , before hoisting over his shoulder. My cheeks burned with embarrassnt. Rather than help , Aurora hid inside my body. Traitor.
"Logan! You prick! Put down right this instant!"
Logan continued to ignore and headed towards the entrance. I struggled to free myself, to no avail. In my weakened state, I was no match for Logan. Hell, even if I were in peak condition, I still wouldn't be able to break free. I was the better fighter overall, but Logan outclassed when it ca to raw strength.
"At least let put on so actual clothing so I don't flash the entire hospital!"
The gown I wore was thin and flimsy. One wrong move and I'd expose my naked ass to everyone. Not that Logan cared, since he kept walking to the door without saying a word.
However, just before we reached it, the door opened and soone from the other side entered. I couldn't see who, because of my current angle. I continued to try and break free, even as Logan froze in place.
Several seconds of silence passed, punctuated by my grunts.
"What the hell are you two doing?" a man's voice said, one very familiar to .
I froze. My embarrassnt reached its peak, to the point where the tips of my ears burned. This was it. My life here on Earth was over.
There were two people who I respected the most here on Earth. Teacher was one, though she was now on Lumina, and the man who just spoke was the other. Letting him see in such a state left mortified.
Logan put on the ground, taking care to make sure I landed on my feet. I turned around to face Daniel Walker, the guildmaster of the Vanguard Guild.
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