.Hazy.
My consciousness flickered in and out.
Like unfocused eyes.
'Where am I...?'
Through my blurry vision, I saw the canvas of a tent above me.
The base camp...
People were rushing around me, their movements a blur.
Their hands were all over my abdomen.
"Pour another potion on the wound!"
"The stitches are coming undone! Hold it together!"
Figures in surgical gowns darted back and forth.
I forced my eyes open and looked down to see my own mangled body, blood and viscera spilling out.
"Start suturing! I'll take care of the internal injuries with holy magic!"
"He's losing too much blood...! Someone get me more regeneration potions! All of them!!"
"This way, Professor Rebena! Hurry, the holy magic...!"
It's too loud...
I frowned at the cacophony of voices.
The overwhelming exhaustion pulled me back into the darkness.
My vision faded, sinking into the abyss.
Deeper.
And deeper.
Until there was nothing but silence.
.
.
.
When I regained consciousness again, I was standing in a sea of darkness.
At the bottom of the ocean, on solid ground that shouldn't exist.
'......'
I felt cool, wet sand beneath my feet.
It was a strange sensation.
I was submerged in the depths of the ocean, yet I could breathe freely.
Tiny bubbles escaped my lips with every exhale.
Where... am I?
I wondered silently.
Or maybe I just thought it. It was hard to tell.
My last memory was of the undead's surprise attack.
And then... being taken back to the base camp? It was all a blur.
Surrounded by this inexplicable scenery, I paused, searching for answers.
For an explanation to this bizarre situation.
That's when I heard it.
- ...Don't forget.
A voice echoed in the stillness.
I flinched, startled.
There was something familiar about the voice that had shattered the silence.
- Don't forget.
It repeated the same phrase, offering no further explanation.
Don't forget what...?
As I frowned, confused, two figures emerged from the darkness ahead.
Two boys.
They looked different, yet there was an uncanny resemblance in their demeanor.
- Don't forget.
Their black hair swayed gently in the current.
I met their gaze, their dark eyes fixated on me, and whispered,
'Raiden...? And me...?'
As I stared at the strange pair, their faces blank, they spoke.
- Don't forget.
- That we are not so different.
The two boys smiled faintly. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
And then, they faded back into the darkness.
I tried to reach out to them, questions swirling in my mind, but my hand passed through empty space.
Only their words lingered, echoing in the silence.
- Snap...
My vision went dark once more.
.
.
.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a large bed.
"......"
My mind felt groggy as if I had just woken from a deep sleep.
I blinked slowly, taking in my surroundings.
I was in the makeshift infirmary at the base camp.
"......I'm alive."
I muttered, my hand instinctively reaching for my abdomen.
Instead of three gaping wounds, I felt thick bandages.
They had managed to treat me in time.
As I let out a sigh of relief and sank back into the pillows, I heard familiar voices from beside me.
"Ra-Raiden...!?"
"You're...?"
I turned my head to see Lucy and Margaret, their faces pale with worry.
Their eyes were fixed on me, and soon, tears welled up in their eyes.
What's with them...?
I was taken aback by their reaction, but I managed to greet them with an awkward,
"Good... morning?"
Lucy, who had been biting her lip, burst into tears and threw her arms around me.
"Raiden...!!"
"Oof?! Y-Your Highness! My wounds...!"
"I-I thought you were dead...!"
"You're killing me! Literally!"
My protests were met with unwavering determination as Lucy continued to squeeze the life out of me.
Margaret, standing behind her, simply watched, making no move to stop her.
I had to spend the next few minutes calming Lucy down before she reopened my wounds.
"Argh!!"
This school trip is turning out to be a real pain in the ass.
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