Chapter 90: Suffocating Reunion

Soft, orange sunlight seeped through the half-closed blinds of the hospital room, painting long stripes across the floor and the white sheets wrapped around Eden’s body.

For several seconds, he simply stared at it.

His mind was strangely empty.

Eden blinked slowly.

Then again.

His eyes moved toward the ceiling.

’...How did I even survive that?’

The question came with an almost comical lack of emotion.

After everything that had happened, he had somehow expected death to feel more dramatic.

Instead, he had apparently gotten a hospital bed.

Eden tried moving his fingers.

They responded.

His arms followed.

His legs felt heavy, but they moved too.

He slowly turned his head.

Elio was still peeling an apple quietly.

Eden stared at him.

Elio stared back.

For several seconds, neither said anything.

Then Elio calmly continued peeling the apple.

"...You’re awake."

Eden’s brow twitched.

’Why is he here?’

"You’re the last person I expected to see."

"Good evening to you too."

Eden couldn’t help but stare.

There was something bizarrely peaceful about the scene.

Elio, one of the strongest young Awakeneds on the planet, was sitting in a hospital room peeling an apple for him as though they were childhood friends.

The knife moved with almost mechanical precision.

The skin came off in one continuous spiral.

Eden finally broke the silence.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have I been out?"

Elio finished cutting the apple into several pieces.

"A week."

Eden’s eyes widened slightly.

"...A week?"

"Mhm."

Elio placed the apple slices onto a small plate before holding it toward him.

"You should eat."

Eden hesitated.

He was still trying to process the fact that seven days had apparently passed.

Slowly, he took the plate.

"...Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

Eden picked up one of the slices and took a bite.

It was sweet.

Almost offensively normal.

He chewed quietly.

Then his expression changed.

"Mihui—"

Elio’s eyes softened.

"She stayed here for almost the entire week."

Eden stopped chewing.

"She did?"

"She barely left your side."

A knot formed in Eden’s chest.

"How bad was she?"

Elio didn’t immediately answer.

Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair.

"Your friends tried convincing her to go home several times."

Eden already knew where this was going.

"She refused."

"Every time."

"..."

"Eventually, even the nurses started telling her she needed rest."

Eden lowered his gaze.

"And?"

"She still refused."

A bitter smile appeared on Eden’s face.

"Sounds like her."

"She finally left a few hours ago."

Eden exhaled.

A strange mixture of relief and guilt washed over him.

He could already imagine her.

Sitting beside his bed.

Red eyes.

Probably barely sleeping.

Probably blaming herself for things she had absolutely no control over.

And all because of him.

Again.

’Damn it, Mihui.’

Eden rubbed his forehead.

"I should’ve told her not to worry."

"You couldn’t exactly tell her anything."

"I know."

"Then don’t blame yourself."

Eden looked at Elio.

Elio’s expression remained calm.

It wasn’t particularly warm.

It wasn’t overly comforting.

It was simply honest.

Eden appreciated that.

"...Thanks for telling me."

"Of course."

Another silence followed.

This one lasted longer.

Eden took another bite of the apple.

Then narrowed his eyes.

"Okay."

Elio looked at him.

"Okay?"

"Why are you here?"

Elio didn’t answer immediately.

Eden pointed at the apple.

"I appreciate the fruit."

"But we’re not exactly best friends."

"No."

"I’m assuming you didn’t sit beside my hospital bed for a god knows how long just because you felt like peeling fruit."

Elio smiled faintly.

"No."

"Thought so."

Elio placed the knife down.

His expression became slightly more serious.

"In one week, the third and final round of the Awakened Association’s tryouts will begin."

Eden’s eyes sharpened.

Elio folded his arms.

"The third round will be different from the first two. The remaining top eight participants will compete in one-on-one duels."

Eden nodded slowly.

"So it’s basically a tournament."

"Exactly."

"And you’re here because...?"

"I want you to forfeit."

Eden stopped.

The room suddenly felt quieter.

"...What?"

Elio met his eyes directly.

"Don’t participate in the third round."

Eden stared at him.

Then looked down at the apple in his hand.

Then back at Elio.

"You’re serious about this?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Elio sighed.

"Because if you participate, you’ll eventually have to fight me in the final."

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

Elio said it with such certainty that Eden almost laughed.

"You’ve already decided we’re both making it there?"

"I have."

There wasn’t even a hint of arrogance in his voice.

That somehow made it more irritating.

Elio continued.

"And I don’t want to fight you while you’re injured."

Eden said nothing.

’Is this concern?’

He studied Elio carefully.

’Or arrogance?’

There was no obvious answer.

"So what, you’re scared I might get hurt?"

"I think you’ll push yourself too far."

Elio leaned forward slightly.

"You and I are different from the others."

Eden raised an eyebrow.

Elio Continued.

"You understand what I’m talking about."

Eden did.

Perhaps that was what made the conversation uncomfortable.

The other participants wanted recognition.

Guilds.

Money.

Status.

Fame.

Some wanted to prove themselves.

Others wanted to climb the ranks.

Eden wanted strength.

Not because he wanted applause.

Not because he wanted people to worship him.

He wanted strength because he remembered what it felt like to be powerless.

Elio seemed to understand that.

"I have no doubt we’ll be the two standing in the finale," Elio said. "And when that happens, I want to fight you at your best."

Eden remained silent.

"Not someone who is still recovering from an S-Rank Assault."

Elio stood.

"That’s all."

Eden looked at him for several seconds.

Then he smiled.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I’ll see you in the arena regardless of your state."

Eden slowly pushed himself upright.

His body protested.

Not badly.

But enough to remind him that Elio wasn’t entirely wrong.

He flexed his fingers.

The weakness was there.

But beneath it...

Something else was there too.

Power.

A ridiculous amount of it.

Eden looked toward the window.

The sun was almost completely gone now.

"I’m not forfeiting."

Elio didn’t seem surprised.

"I expected that."

"I’ll be in prime condition by the time the final comes."

Elio studied him.

Then, after a moment, smiled.

"Then I suppose I’ll see you there."

He extended his hand.

Eden looked at it.

Then grasped it.

Their handshake was firm.

Neither tried to overpower the other.

Not that either of them needed to.

"Recover well," Elio said.

"You too."

Elio turned and walked toward the door.

The door clicked shut.

Silence returned.

Eden leaned back against the pillow.

"...What a strange guy."

He stared at the ceiling in silence.

Though the silence didn’t hold particularly long.

"MASTER!"

Eden’s eyes widened.

A familiar presence suddenly materialized beside his bed.

Sylvia.

Her scarlet eyes were overflowing with tears.

Before Eden could even react, she lunged forward.

"Master!"

"Wait—"

She wrapped both arms around him.

Her generous chest immediately buried his face.

"Mmph—!"

"I failed you!"

"Mmph!"

"I failed as your servant!"

Eden’s hands flailed helplessly.

"I should have been there!"

"Mmph!"

"I should have protected you!"

Eden tried tapping her shoulder.

Nothing.

"Master."

"MMPH!"

"I wasn’t beside you when you needed me most."

Eden’s vision was becoming blurry.

He was running out of oxygen.

’This god damn woman!’

He slapped her shoulder repeatedly.

Sylvia continued crying.

"I’m so sorry!"

’So this is how I die?’

Eden’s vision began darkening.

’After surviving an S Rank monster?’

He hit her shoulder one last time.

Sylvia didn’t notice.

Fortunately, another figure materialized behind her.

Obsidian.

The towering black knight immediately grabbed Sylvia by the back of her clothes and pulled her away.

Eden’s face emerged.

He inhaled desperately.

"HAH—!"

He coughed several times.

Sylvia stared at him through tearful eyes.

"Master..."

Eden raised one hand.

"Give me... a second..."