By the time Brandon finished changing, it was already afternoon.
He stepped out of the changing booth, towel in hand, drying his damp hair.
As he glanced around, his eyes landed on Amelia sitting by a bench, her attention focused on something in her lap.
"...?"
Curious, he walked closer and noticed she was writing in a notebook.
A diary?
Brandon raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't know you kept a diary."
Amelia didn't look up, continuing to scribble.
"I've been keeping one since I was a child. Helps me process everything."
He sat down beside her. "What are you writing about?"
"Just recording the day. I like keeping track of everything that happens. It's a habit."
She paused, glancing up at him with a small smile.
"You might make it in there too, if you're lucky."
Brandon smirked.
"I better be the main character."
"Hehe~ What do you think?"
She chuckled, giving him a warm smile.
Brandon chuckled at Amelia's playful tone, feeling the warmth in her smile.
As she returned to her writing, he pulled out his phone, idly checking the notifications.
The first message caught his eye.
[Kael]
—Infiltrating Milis isn't easy. The upper echelons are heavily guarded, and security's tighter than expected. But I'll get it done. Don't worry, I'll meet your needs.
It was from Kael, the Primordials Third Seat.
Brandon frowned.
He knew it would be tough.
Illya might've been the better choice for the job, but if things went south, Kael had the strength to safely retreat.
Then his eyes landed on the next message.
[Zed]
—Rafael has woken up.
Brandon's heart skipped a beat. Rafael? Awake?
He stared at the message, disbelief washing over him.
Rafael had been in a coma for so long, no one expected him to wake up.
Especially today.
Brandon's heart pounded as he reread Zed's message.
For a moment, he couldn't move, his mind trying to process the words.
Rafael—who had been in a coma for months—was awake?
His thumb hovered over the screen, and he tapped the message, quickly opening it.
—Yeah, you read that right. He woke up today. I saw it with my own eyes. He's not fully lucid yet, but... he's awake, Brandon.
Brandon blinked, his grip on the phone tightening.
"Brandon? What's wrong...?"
Amelia noticed his sudden change in demeanor.
Brandon blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Ah? Oh, nothing. Just some progress with the artifacts."
"Right.... the artifacts."
Amelia puffed her cheeks, pouting.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me.... I could've better prepared for it....."
"It was a surprise. I told you, I would support you, and now that I've established my value, my backing would greatly support your reputation."
Just the usual buzz of people laughing, talking, and enjoying the resort.
Raven had sensed something.
There was someone.
The signature was rather familiar.
"Hey, you okay?"
Reinhard's voice snapped him back to reality.
Raven blinked, his gaze still lingering where the figure had been.
"Yeah, I'm fine... thought I saw something."
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"Someone you know?"
"Nah.... must've been nothing."
***
Brandon immediately headed back to his company building after departing with everyone else.
He informed Amelia he would be home in a bit, and she should head back home first.
Amelia noticed something was up, and didn't pry further. Must've been important company stuff.
In any case, Brandon immediately headed to the room where Rafael Asami was resting.
Brandon stepped into the dimly lit room where Rafael Asami lay, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"...."
Zed stood silently beside him, arms crossed, his expression grim.
"He's been like this for a while."
Brandon approached the bed, glancing between Zed and Rafael.
"What's his condition?"
Zed sighed.
"Physically, he's stable, but... mentally, it's like he's not here. He doesn't recognize anything, or anyone."
Brandon leaned over, looking directly at Rafael.
"Sir Asami?"
There was no response.
Rafael's eyes remained fixed on the ceiling, devoid of any recognition or emotion.
Brandon feared this would be the case the moment he woke up.
But then, an idea lit up.
"Do you remember your daughters?"
Suddenly, Rafael's eyes flickered, his fingers twitching slightly.
"...."
His lips parted, barely mouthing a word, but no sound came out.
It was the first sign of recognition. Brandon leaned in closer.
"Your daughters.... do you remember them...?"
Rafael's gaze, though distant, held a spark of something familiar. It was faint, but it was there.
Zed shook his head.
"It's like his memories are just.... gone. He woke up, but his mind hasn't."
In any case, his conditions seemed to be stable.
Once there were more responses, they had planned on bringing him to a real hospital to further check his conditions.
In any case, the next day came before he knew it.
December 22, 2149.
The day of the scheduled funeral for the brave rankers who died in the tower had arrived.
Evelyn's heart was heavy as she stood before the monument, her gaze fixed on the names engraved in stone.
The air was cold, but she barely felt it.
Her eyes focused on one name, the only name that mattered to her.
—Yi Jihyeon.