Chapter 113: Daring Valen
Sylra’s words about the professors driving off the Eclipse intruders lingered in Alex’s mind, her voice still tinged with the relief and frustration that had colored her earlier outburst. Bastian’s recounting of the chaotic retreat, delivered with his characteristic smirk, painted a vivid picture of the elders’ swift intervention.
The sterile whiteness of the Starhaven Academy clinic surrounded them, its pristine walls and glowing orbs casting a soft, almost clinical light over the group. Alex lay on the clinic bed, his body still aching from the moonshade-poisoned wound, the bandage beneath his gown a constant reminder of how close he’d come to death.
"They got a few students," Sylra added, her golden eyes flickering with concern as she leaned closer to Alex’s bedside. "Some cuts, a few burns from those dark orbs Eclipse was throwing. But the healers patched everyone up. Minor stuff, mostly. They’ve all been discharged already." She paused, her gaze softening as it met his. "You’re the only one still here."
"We were so scared for you," she said, her voice gentle, tinged with the same anxiety that colored Sylra’s words. "You took that hit and just... collapsed. We didn’t know if you were going to make it." Her expression was earnest, her usual confidence softened by the weight of the moment.
Alex nodded slowly, his thoughts heavy as he absorbed the news. The weight of his survival settled over him, a bittersweet relief. Starhaven was safe again, its halls no longer echoing with the chaos of Eclipse’s attack.
But the cost the evolution into a Cursed Ash Elf, the system’s ominous warning that his life was no longer his own, felt like a shadow cast over his victory. He was alive, but at what price?
Bastian, his hair falling across his forehead. His usual playful demeanor faltered, replaced by a quiet intensity as he studied Alex. Bastian’s empathy allowed him to sense emotions like ripples in a pond, and now his eyes narrowed, a flicker of suspicion crossing his face. "Hey, man," he said, his voice low, almost cautious. "What happened when you were out? Like, when you were... you know, down for the count. Something’s off, I can feel it."
Alex froze, his breath catching at the question. The truth, the searing pain of the system’s evolution, the shadowy aura that had remade him, flashed through Alex’s mind. He wasn’t ready to share that, not yet, not when he barely understood it himself.
Forcing a weak smile, he leaned back against the pillow, his voice tinged with resignation. "I’m fine, Bastian. Really. I don’t remember much, just a blur, you know? I’m just glad to be back."