Chapter 90: The Aftermath

"Huff-! Huff-!" Adrian's eyes abruptly opened, his breaths haggard.

"T-The monster-!" he muttered, looking around in panic. But he saw only the walls of a room and a beautiful girl who was sleeping on the chair beside him.

"A-Aria?" he muttered in confusion, his voice barely above a whisper.

Then, images of the battle and the moments right before he fainted started flooding back into his mind. He remembered the intense fight with the Guardian, the searing pain of the lightning strike and the injury on his left hand, and the desperate attempt to finish the monster.

He also remembered collapsing right after, his vision fading as he was overwhelmed by exhaustion and pain. He only remembered fainting on Aria's lap after saying, "Kill the monster."

'Wait-! On her lap!' His eyes widened for a bit, his face flushing red. He quickly shook his head.

His eyes returned to Aria, who was sleeping soundly in a chair beside him. She looked peaceful, her usually stern expression softened in slumber. A wave of gratitude washed over him as he remembered how fiercely she had fought to protect him and their group. Come to think of it, she was also beside him when he first got injured.

'She looks so peaceful...' he thought, feeling a warm flush spread across his cheeks. 'And she looks more beautiful than before...'

Careful not to disturb her, Adrian shifted slightly, testing his body's condition. His left hand was bandaged tightly, and though it throbbed with a dull pain, it seemed to be healing well. He could feel the lingering effects of the healing spells, the comforting warmth still present in his body.

'How deep was it cut?' He thought as he couldn't quite remember. 'I hope it heals soon.'

Thinking about the upcoming joint Combat Class with the second years, his only hope was he would be ready and healthy.

'Hmmm?' He then noticed Aria's eyes fluttering, signs of her awakening. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'N-Not good.' He muttered and quickly lay down and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. 'She will think I'm weird if she saw me looking at her.' That was what he thought.

____ __ _

Aria's eyes fluttered open, her silver hair brushing softly against her cheeks as she slowly woke from her light slumber. She sat up, stretching slightly before her gaze fell upon Adrian, who was lying still on the bed. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light of the room.

Then, her eyes glowed a deep purple for a moment.

After a few seconds, a small smile appeared on her face as she gazed at Adrian.

'I should take my leave before he 'wakes' up, it seems.' She thought to herself and made her way outside.

Adrian peeked through his left eye, watching her back as she closed the door. He waited till the sounds of footsteps disappeared.

"Huff..." He took a deep breath after making sure she left. "Gosh, I thought I was exposed..."

"But, did I do the right thing? I didn't even thank her yet..."

"Well, I can do it later. We are neighbors anyway." He muttered to himself while pondering how to express his gratitude. "Wait. Why don't I treat her to a meal? She can't cook herself, so it would be good to do something nice for her."

With a plan forming in his mind, Adrian felt a bit more at ease. He pushed himself to sit up, wincing slightly as the movement tugged at his healing wounds. The room was small but cozy, a far cry from the dangerous, ancient ruin, temple they had fought in. It felt safe here, a place where he could recover and gather his strength.

"I guess living in a fantasy world isn't as awesome as many think it is." He muttered to himself. "There are dangers lurking around every corner, and battles aren't as glamorous as they seem in stories. But it's the friends and allies you make along the way that make it worthwhile." Adrian's voice softened as he thought about recent events.

"Not to mention the adrenaline and rush that comes with facing down powerful enemies." He let out a small, rueful laugh, his thoughts a mix of relief and anticipation.

Adrian's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He looked up, wondering who it could be. Before he could call out, the door opened, and Ardel peeked inside.

"H-Hey, you awake?" Ardel asked while entering the room.

After him, Kairen, Lila, and Aurelius followed into the room.

"You guys?" Adrian looked at them confused.

"Ah, right," Ardel spoke up. "Miss Aria told us you would wake up soon, so we came to check up on you."

"Yeah," Kairen agreed, nodding. "We wanted to see how you were doing and make sure you're alright."

Lila crossed her arms, a hint of relief in her voice despite her usual serious demeanor. "You had us worried, you know. You really went all out back there."

Aurelius stepped forward, his expression a mix of gratitude and admiration. "You saved us, Adrian. We couldn't have done it without you. How are you feeling?"

Adrian gave them a tired but genuine smile. "I'm doing well. What about the others? Were there any casualties? Did everything go well? How long was I out?"

They nodded and told him what happened after he fainted. Aria took care of the dying Guardian, Aurelius got the artifact, the portal opened up to the outside, and the ruin was conquered.

"And don't worry, you were out just a day," Ardel finished the explanation. "Today is Sunday, and now it's evening. Here is a meal for dinner."

"Thanks, Ardel. I appreciate it," Adrian said, accepting the meal gratefully.

"We'll take our leave then," Aurelius said, and the others nodded. They turned to leave, but not before offering Adrian words of encouragement and thanks.

As Adrian watched them go, he couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude. "Having friends is sure nice..." he murmured. "Even better when they aren't fake but the genuine ones..."