MATTHEW'S POV
Wheels squeaked against the floor, white tiles and walls brightened the place up in contrast to the gloomy faces of the patients. Nurses and doctors discussed symptoms, illnesses, diseases, and more terms that I wasn't familiar with. The air conditioner was in full blast. I hugged myself and rubbed my arms up and down. The cold got to me despite the sweater that I wore.
I sat on a metallic chair while Sasha talked to the nurse that worked on the counter, trying my best to keep warm. I rubbed my palms together to help me with that. Also, I was starting to get bored.
'How long have we been here?'
I haven't been to the hospital ever since I was a child taking the last shot of my injection. Feeling uneasy, I brought the hood to my head and shrunk on my seat.
"We can see her now." Sasha walked up to me, holding a piece of paper in her hand. "She's on the fourth floor in room 402. The visit only lasts until ten at night. There's still a few hours left."
"Your parents must be on their way, then?" I stood up and shivered, the freezing air spread throughout my body.
She shook her head as no which took me by surprise. "They already visited. The hospital only lets in two visitors at a time to avoid overcrowding. I heard they had to kick out multiple people in the past because of their special relative that fell ill."
"That must have been tiring."
"And it explains the protocol."
Agreeing with her, we went to find the elevator. Since Sasha knew this place better than I did, I just followed her around until we arrived in front of the elevator. Sasha pushed the button pointing upward and we waited. The numbers displayed on the screen showed it was starting to go down to our floor so I knew we wouldn't have to wait long.
My mind drifted off to Samantha. I quickly pulled my phone out and sent her a text.
'Hey. Did you get back safe?'
The elevator dinged and its doors opened. A person was standing inside. He donned a mask and a hood over his head. He slowly stepped out of the elevator, his hands inside his coat. Under the minimal space that showed his face, I caught a glimpse of his eyes.
My chest dropped as my mind shut down. I couldn't breathe properly, my lungs forgot to function. The hair on the back of my neck rose, and the sense of dread sent panic to every nerve in my system.
The man continued to walk past me after sparing me a glance. Sasha entered the elevator and had to keep the doors open when she saw I hadn't come in yet.
"Matthew? What's wrong?"
"That man... Had..." My sentences were broken due to my hyperventilating.
"Had...?"
'A scar.'
It was big and long. It ranged diagonally from his temple down to his chin, barely scraping his left eye. Sure, this caught me off-guard, but the true reason for my fear is the way he looked at me.
His eyes flashed crimson, a stare with an intent to kill. Not only that, I was bothered by how his gaze only hardened when he saw my face. It's as if I was someone who ruined his life or mocked him for a major defeat. Whatever the reason, he plans to have me gone.
I don't even know the man, though. Yet, he made me feel this way. That was what troubled me the most.
I turned around to confront him and saw he had already turned around the corner.
'Those eyes... It's similar to the librarian!'
We, the elites, have been tasked to keep the ventifios at bay, and I know a human couldn't have an eye color as red as blood. So, what are they? Could they be ventifios that escaped? That can't be it, they have human features...
"My arm's getting sore, Matthew." Whined Sasha. "I'm going to leave you here if you don't get in now."
I whipped my head towards the red-head and apologized frantically when I entered the elevator. The man rendered my brain frozen I almost forgot what I was here for - To see Stacey.
"What's wrong?" Sasha asked. The elevator began to rumble and accelerated upwards.
"Um," I couldn't say the real reason, she'll think I'm crazy. "That man had a... Scar on his face. I was just surprised."
"Oh, really? I did not notice it." The girl lowered her head. "Though, I wouldn't be able to stomach it even if I did see his face."
I was quiet.
'This is the second time I accidentally saw someone's scars. The first is... Samuel.'
I shook the thoughts away. I still kept that time a secret. He's unaware of how much I truly know. And that brings a tightness and discomfort in both my heart and mind. I plan to tell him, but not any time soon. Those scars hold bad memories. It may not harbor the same pain that goes on in his head, however, it's a reminder still.
The elevator came to a halt with a loud ding. We have arrived on the fourth floor. I tried not to be bothered by that man. Maybe that was just his neutral face? I think I'm thinking too much about this.
H̶o̶w̶ c̶a̶n̶ y̶o̶u̶ e̶x̶p̶l̶a̶i̶n̶ h̶i̶s̶ e̶y̶e̶s̶, t̶h̶e̶n̶, M̶a̶s̶t̶e̶r̶?
'Matt!'
I was surprised to hear my soul protector speak. Usually, I would be the one to initiate a conversation. For some reason, this had me excited. Sadly, the excitement vanished as I pondered its question.
'This is the second time today... What could this mean? Do you have an idea, Matt?'
I̶ c̶a̶n̶n̶o̶t̶ s̶a̶y̶ f̶o̶r̶ s̶u̶r̶e̶, m̶a̶s̶t̶e̶r̶. B̶u̶t̶, I̶ a̶d̶v̶i̶s̶e̶ y̶o̶u̶ t̶o̶ b̶e̶ c̶a̶u̶t̶i̶o̶u̶s̶. I̶ w̶i̶l̶l̶ a̶l̶w̶a̶y̶s̶ b̶e̶ r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ t̶o̶ f̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ b̶y̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ s̶i̶d̶e̶ a̶n̶d̶ h̶e̶e̶d̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ o̶r̶d̶e̶r̶s̶.
I huffed.
'Didn't you say you cannot fully obey me?'
E̶v̶e̶n̶ i̶f̶ o̶u̶r̶ b̶o̶n̶d̶ s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ n̶e̶e̶d̶s̶ w̶o̶r̶k̶, I̶ e̶x̶i̶s̶t̶ t̶o̶ p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶. I̶ s̶i̶m̶p̶l̶y̶ c̶a̶n̶n̶o̶t̶ s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶ b̶y̶ a̶n̶d̶ i̶g̶n̶o̶r̶e̶ a̶ s̶i̶g̶n̶ o̶f̶ d̶a̶n̶g̶e̶r̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ m̶a̶y̶ h̶a̶r̶m̶ y̶o̶u̶, m̶a̶s̶t̶e̶r̶.
I smiled at that. Sasha clapped her hands to get my attention. "Come on, Matthew. If we stall any longer, the visit curfew will catch up to us!"
We made our way to Stacey's room. As I stood in front of the door, my heartbeat quickened. All kinds of emotions swirled within me - fear, anxiousness, nervousness, and the like. I don't know what I'm expecting once I enter the other side of the door.
Sasha placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She typed in the passcode and I heard a faint click as the button beeped and turned green.
The redhead opened the door, and my breath hitches.
On the bed lay a girl with black hair and skin as pale as snow. There were tubes attached to her from the beeping machines beside the bed. The room was spacious and dim, with little furniture decorating it until Sasha switched the lights on. I could see everything now. The bed was placed in the corner of the room. There was a door on the other end, probably the bathroom. Though, it wouldn't be used given that the patient was in a coma. There was a desk and a chair next to the entrance, it was full of flowers and cards. I guess her relatives gave those to her. Then, right next to the bed was a window.
Stacey was tucked in a thick blanket, an oxygen mask helped her breathe steadily. Her eyes were closed and she was as still as a corpse. Her face was sickly white, and I feel myself getting sick as well. Her lips were pulled into a frown, adding another concerning feature to her state. Looking at her now, I can't help but compare the current Stacey to the Stacey I met a month ago. They... Were so different.
"She's been showing no signs of improvement, but her condition's not exactly worsening either." Sasha grabbed a chair and sat on it while her eyes were fixated on her sister. "The doctors can't reach a diagnosis. All they know is that her fever's not going down."
I approached the comatose patient. I brought a hand on her forehead and flinched at the heat.
'That's insane.'
It was as if a fire was inside her. I've had a high fever before, but not this hot.
I rubbed my hand, the pain similar to a sunburn. Sasha frowned at my actions. "If this keeps up... I..." The redhead's voice cracked, her eyes watering. A pang in my chest caused me to move and hug her. It must be hard, to see a family member on the brink of death while not knowing whether they're coming back alive or not.
"Shh, it's all gonna be okay." To be honest, I wasn't so sure about that. "Stacey's strong. She won't give up and leave you behind."
Sasha sniffled and wiped her eyes since a few tears escaped. I let her breathe for a moment and recollect herself. Once she did, she walked over to the desk and pulled a drawer. I didn't even see there were drawers as the bouquet blocked them. Inside were photos.
"This is what I meant."
I took the pictures into my hands and nearly dropped to the floor. I forgot how to function, my body was cold as ice. The black spots Sasha said... Was similar to the mark on my back. Only Stacey's was simple, a small circle. Mine bears a resemblance to a rose. That didn't matter, why do we have these markings? Why did she slip into a coma while I suffered what seemed to be a bipolar disorder?
My hands started to tremble, and my grip on the pictures tightened. Sasha had to yell my name to prevent me from spiraling down to hysteria.
"I know it's shocking, but you look like you saw a ghost."
'It might be scarier than that.'
Why did we have the same mark? What could it mean? How did she get it?
For some reason, the librarian flashed in my mind. Her brown eyes glinted maliciously when she spoke to me earlier. I didn't know why, yet my gut just assumed that she was involved in this.
Focusing back to reality, I apologized to Sasha for zoning out. The redhead took the pictures and stashed them away in a drawer. "It's fine. I was surprised when I first saw the spots too."
'Will you also react the same way if you had a similar marking on your back?'
I was tempted to ask the question but held my tongue to avoid complicating things. She wouldn't know what I'd be talking about anyway.
"Y-Yeah."
I had to take deep breaths to ease the pounding in my chest. The confusion I was feeling right now was overwhelming. With questions popping up, I was getting dizzy. Who would have thought Stacey and I had the same problem?
'But...'
I looked over at the sleeping girl on the hospital bed.
'Why is she in a coma while I'm awake and standing?'
I mean, it hurts sometimes, though that's not the point.
I sighed, feeling a headache creeping in. For some reason, Sasha took that as being hungry. "Oh, you must be starving. I did pull you out of your date."
My head whipped in her direction. "It's not-"
"I think there's a canteen downstairs. I'll buy a snack for you."
With no chance to protest, Sasha has exited the room.
My eyes darted to the window, seeing the moon out and about. It was a waning crescent, but it's slightly near being a new moon. At this, I couldn't help but remember that the ventifios are at their full power when a new moon arrived.
Turning to Stacey, I had the urge to apologize. I felt like it was all my fault she was lying there, almost at death's door. So, that is what I did. Sitting down, I let out a shaky sigh.
"I'm sorry, Stacey. You don't deserve this. I wish I can share the pain you're currently going through."
I took her hand into mine, not caring if it was burning. "If only there was something I could do... I would do it - no hesitation - for you."
I tried to stop the tears from falling. "I wish I can make you all better."
Silence filled the air for a short while, until...
My entire body went warm. A gust of energy pumped my blood, my brain receiving some kind of new emotion. The adrenaline in my veins went haywire, rushing to the tip of my fingers as they tingled. For a second, the mark on my lower back stung.
At the same time, a ray of light pierced through the window. It seemed like it came from the moon. The light directly hit Stacey on her stomach where the spots were. Standing up abruptly, I watched the scene in front of me unfold. I didn't know what was happening so I couldn't do anything. A minute later, the light slowly faded.
My mouth was hanging open, my body was stiff as I comprehend what that was just now. The process came to a halt when Stacey's finger abruptly moved.
I had to rub my eyes to ensure what I was seeing was real. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but when the girl in front of me stirred like she was going to wake up, I couldn't contain my surprise.
"Hey, Matthew. The canteen was selling these sandwiches and drinks. I hope you don't mind-"
"Sasha!"
Grabbing her shoulders, I startled the poor girl. Not paying attention to that, I pushed the redhead towards her sister. She dropped the plastic bag as she gasped audibly.
Sasha broke free from my grasp and ran outside, yelling for a doctor. Meanwhile, I stayed in the room, staring at Stacey as she made subtle movements. She didn't open her eyes, but there was finally a sign that she may be able to recover from her coma. I was hopeful.
Remembering the shine that illuminated through, I took a glance at the sky.
Is this a benefit of being an elite? Do we get a wish granted?
No matter what it was, I was thankful something like that happened. The doctors entered the room and asked for me to leave. I cooperated and left the room.
Looking back, I saw Stacey fully lift a finger and the doctors cheered. The moon was gleaming beautifully outside her window, radiating an enchanting wave of light that appeared to emit a gentle and soothing aura.