Chapter 26 - 25: The One Who Carried Me
The quiet creak of old wood echoed as Ethan turned on the worn mattress, the midday sun bleeding softly through the stained glass windows of the abandoned church. His body still ached, deep and pulsing, a reminder of yesterday’s brutal fight against the monstrous minotaur. His right shoulder was tightly wrapped in bandages, his ribs still tender, but he could move now—more or less.
He groaned and sat up slowly, one hand clutching his side.
Just then, the door opened with a gentle click, and Hestia walked in, holding a bowl of soup in both hands. Her expression lit up when she saw him awake.
"You’re up!" she said, walking over and setting the bowl beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got slammed by a charging bull..." Ethan muttered, rubbing his head. Then, a flicker of thought passed through his mind, a memory half-formed. Blood. Roars. And then—blackness.
He turned to Hestia, frowning. "Hey... who brought me back?"
Hestia blinked, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "Oh. Right. You passed out cold after the fight."
"Yeah, I figured," Ethan said, scratching his cheek. "I remember killing the damn thing... and then nothing. I thought you came for me."
"I did," she said, nodding. "But not right away."