"..."
"..."
Li Zemin awkwardly shuffled his feet, wishing he could just bolt past the crackling tension to the other side- to safety. Away from the silent death match the two near the door were having with unspoken words.
They really should take it somewhere else. Or at least let them go somewhere else.
Somehow Roscoe had already managed to slip away from the scene.
Lucky raccoon.
"So... it seems like you two have a lot to discuss? We'll just be in the living room then."
"Sit. Down."
Li Zemin obediently sat down on the bed. Lei casually plopped down next to him, a grin on her face as she observed the two like it was the most amusing thing she had seen in a while.
He had to admit, it was sort of entertaining to see Nox get angry.
Liam tugged on Li Zemin's sleeve, an unspoken request for the brown haired man to lean down.
"Do we need to stop Mister? He's still hurt," Liam whispered.
From the way Nox was favoring his left leg, they should've stopped him. "Let them talk it out," was what came out of Li Zemin's mouth instead. "Adults do things out of order."
"Oh." Still hesitant, Liam perched himself on the edge of the bed and became the third spectator, his wide eyes betraying his curiosity. Adults seemed to do a lot of things weirdly.
Nox's eye twitched as he felt the stares aimed towards his back, heated with anticipation.
Just when the taller man opened his mouth, steady footsteps sounded outside in the hallway and Bak Soomin appeared.
She had a pack in her hand as she halted, noticing the man leaning against the doorframe. Her lips pressed in a thin line as she let out a disapproving sigh. "Didn't I tell you to let the patient rest?"
He gave her a small shrug. "I had something to discuss with him."
Nox adjusted his weight, wincing when he put too much weight on his leg, "Bak Soo-"
"I don't want to hear excuses from either of you." She pointed to the three sitting ducks on the bed, all staring at her with innocent expressions. "Give the bed back to the patient."
Wordlessly, the three of them scrambled off and slid past Nox to exit the room.
Li Zemin lingered behind, catching Nox's eye. 'See you,' he mouthed, shaping the words slowly with a grin on his face.
Nox scowled.
The three quickly fled the scene.
Nox watched them scurry away before pinning his stare on the wall.
It was a very interesting wall- the white paint was evenly coated, and it was just... white.
A blank canvas.
"Nox."
Under Bak Soomin's warning expression, Nox dragged himself back to the bed, breathing a light sigh as the weight on his injured leg was lifted. He could've dealt with it though. It was healed enough that he could force himself to run on it if it was necessary.
Bak Soomin eyed his face critically. "You still look pale." She unzipped the pack in her hand, revealing miscellaneous medical supplies along with bags of red liquid.
Nox's eyes widened as he clamped down on the surge of excitement from his ability. "Where did you find blood bags?"
She ignored his question. "What type are you?" she asked briskly, rummaging through her findings.
"I don't know." He never needed a blood transfusion before- not that he would've gotten one if he needed it. 'She's not going to use her needles on me, is she?'
Bak Soomin's motions paused briefly, but she selected a blood bag and tossed it over. "Try to use your ability to absorb it." She threw something to the taller man still standing next to the doorway as well. "Help him change his bandages later. We don't want it to get infected."
Nox halted in the middle of making a thin cut across his palm. The steel dagger came back with him from the trial. "I can do it myself- where are you going?" he asked Bak Soomin, frowning in confusion.
The doctor shouldered her pack again, straightening the sleeves of her coat. The white coat had seen better days, but it was still wearable. She replied, "I'm going to gather some information. I was hoping Liam could stay here for a bit."
Her long hair hid her expression from Nox, but he could understand her subtle request.
Nox nodded, "I'll look after him for you." This could be considered as payment for treating him.
"Thank you." She brushed past the standing man, momentarily releasing a sharp burst of aura. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't stress out my patient more than necessary," she said coolly.
"Not a problem," he replied back calmly.
Nodding sharply, she headed out.
Nox frowned as he urged his ability to absorb the blood. The thin tendril of blood circled in complaint, getting close but unwilling to absorb it. "Picky," Nox muttered as he watched his ability refuse the offering.
"Is now a bad time?"
Nox eyed the taller man with distaste, "I don't know why you assume I have time to spare for you."
The other man shrugged, his frame wider than Nox's. "Since you used one of my healing props, maybe you should spare some."
His comment made Nox pause his attempts. "You have a sister?"
"Lei is my half-sister."
"Oh." Nox tilted his head up to scrutinize the other man.
He looked back calmly, his dark bangs highlighting his symmetrical facial features.
Nox released a drawn out sigh. "… Long time no see, Claude."
"Nox."
They came to an unspoken agreement.
'Let's leave the messy things to deal with later.'
"How long has it been?"
"A week." Something flashed across Claude's face before it smoothed out. "A week since the Eclipse."
Nox snorted, "Did you make up that name?"
"No." Without permission, Claude walked over and sat down in the chair. Nox eyed the roll of white bandages gripped in Claude's hands as long fingers started to unravel it. "How much do you know?"
"Not enough." Nox glanced out of the window. The sea in the distance seemed to be mocking him. "Where are we?"
Claude replied, "B City. Weren't you here before your trial?"
Why hadn't the trial taken him back?
Nox shook his head, "I was in Z City. And Rox-" His face paled abruptly. "I need to find Roxanne."
Roxanne, he left her alone. He left her-
Foreign, glowing eyes flickered in defiance before dulling, her warm body slumping over him as he watched his hand casually withdraw from her abdomen.
From the wound he had inflicted-
The searing pain on his wrists felt like shackles, branded onto him by her hands.
It hurt. It really hurt.
A firm hand pushed him back down. When had he gotten up?
"You need to rest," Claude frowned. "You won't be helping anyone with those injuries." To emphasize his point, he poked the bandaged wound on his shoulder, causing Nox to let out a hiss of pain.
"Then give me another healing item," Nox snapped, attempting to pull away Claude's hand. Why was he so strong, dammit!? He glanced at his open status screen. His level 9 strength stared back at him helplessly. "I'll pay you back later, just give me one now-"
Claude's expression closed off as Nox continued to struggle in an almost frantic manner. "Listen." He gripped Nox's shoulder, forcing the other to look at him. "It's been a week. If your sister is strong, she'll still be alive when you get to her. Only the ones suited for this world have survived this past week."
Nox directly rose his strength to level 13, but the wolf-eyed bastard still wouldn't budge. "How are you so strong?" he griped.
Claude let out a short laugh devoid of humor. "Don't bother with that." As if he knew Nox was considering to throw all of his points to level up his strength; until he could overpower the other. "Your sister can wait another day or two for you to heal. How old is Roxanne now? Sixteen?"
"Eighteen," Nox corrected. Although she rarely acted her age around him.
"Eighteen," Claude repeated, releasing Nox when he calmed down. "I heard Lei went through her first trial with you." He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms. "She went through her second trial alone, and came out alive. She's fourteen this year. Do you doubt your sister that much?"
His protests died in his throat at Claude's next comment.
"If she needs your protection, then maybe she isn't suited to live in this world."
It was clearly a taunt. "Bastard." He grasped the sheets between his hands. The phantom heat seemed to whisper against his arm, his teeth clenching at the reminder. "What do you understand about this world?" Abilities, monsters, trials, and who knew what else. "Don't act like you know everything."
"What if I told you I do know everything?" A smirk appeared on his face, but his eyes were collected. Cold.
"Tell me, then."
"I'm a prophet."
Nox's expression twisted. A prophet would actually...
Shit.
Thankfully, Claude left Nox to berate himself silently and didn't make a sarcastic comment.
"... I was in the wrong," Nox admitted reluctantly.
Claude stood up with a sigh. "How long are you going to stay asleep for? It isn't like you to hesitate, Nox." Dark blue eyes stared down at him, like the depths of a nebula. "I'll show you the truth of this world."