Chapter 32: False Smile (Rewritten)
Bronya’s eyes cracked open slowly. She noticed a dull pain in the back of her neck. Softly rubbing it in confusion, Bronya looked at her surroundings as she rose from her bed.
Or at least, what she thought was her bed.
’...This isn’t my room.’
As she looked around, the contrast that this place had with her luxurious room in Qlipoth Fort was apparent. Wooden floors, minimalist furniture... was that medical equipment?
’A clinic?’
The clinic was a sanctuary of quiet respite amidst the clamor of the world. It’s walls, painted in soft, muted tones of ivory and pale wood, seemed to absorb the weight of the day, leaving behind only a sense of calm. The air, lightly scented with herbs and the faintest hint of antiseptic, carried a soothing coolness that wrapped around those who entered, as if inviting them to exhale the tension of their lives.
Bronya just sighed. Why was she even thinking about this? She should be more worried about how she had gotten here. Maybe it had to do with the full pain in her neck.
There were two other occupants nearby. A black-haired boy and a pink-haired girl. Both of them seemed to be quite injured, considering the amount of bandages that enshrouded their bodies. They both laid on beds of their own, just to the left of Bronya herself.
Unseen to anyone else was grayish aura surrounding the two unconscious youths — bordering on white. It was practically transparent to Bronya, and didn’t affect her visual perception.
The representation of one’s morality was shown through how bright or dark one’s aura was. By the rules of her Flaw, if a person had a bright aura, then they believed themselves to be morally good. If it was darker, then they felt that they were evil. It wasn’t an accurate portrayal of morality, but instead revealed how a person saw themselves.
The two youths both seemed familiar, but she wasn’t sure why...