This... The sensation of weightlessness washed over me, akin to the feeling when I had been transported to the dream world.
However, this time, it was unmistakable that it wasn't a mere dream. It was as though every ounce of exhaustion or pain had simply vanished. Questions plagued my mind. Had I met my end? Was this some form of hell? Strangely, though, there were no flames of damnation to be found.
Could it be purgatory then? Was I waiting for the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to rescue me and usher me into his heavenly kingdom? Or had the Lord descended to purge the world of sinners, leaving me in a suspended state, waiting for the right moment to awaken?
A myriad of thoughts swirled in my mind—aliens, demons, and everything in between. What about Venidith? She seemed utterly drained, and the fear of Ayesha's potential betrayal loomed. Yet, it was also possible that Ayesha had aided us, and I was simply caught in a deep coma, much like those situations depicted in movies.
"Shit! I didn't know this would happen!"
A voice broke through the endless contemplation, though I couldn't quite place it. The voice carried a nerdy undertone.
"Nevertheless, something significant is unfolding, and you chose to overlook it?" Another voice chimed in—a woman's voice, filled with fierceness and concern.
"Please, let's not argue here! The patient is already weakened from the battle!" A different female voice interjected, likely someone I had encountered recently.
In the abyss of nothingness, I tried to gauge time. If I counted from the moment I lost consciousness, it had been 604,800 seconds. As I mentally tallied the seconds, thoughts continued to flood my mind. I once believed what Senku did was complex, but it now seemed so straightforward.
"OH MY GOSH! That's big!" A voice interrupted my internal count, possibly female, but I couldn't be sure. I continued my silent timekeeping, which had now reached 864,000 seconds.
"Oh my Gustav was right. Allow me to handle this," a female voice suggested. Could it be Venidith?
"Please stop doing any unnecessary movements with the organ!" cautioned another voice.
"No need to fret. I know precisely what I'm doing," confidently reassured a different speaker.
"But the way in which you're doing it!" protested yet another voice.
"All done, see? You're a nurse, aren't you? You should be carrying this out without hesitation," the confident voice replied.
"I-I am sorrry... But still! Those...uh, moments were unnecessary!" came a stuttering response.
"I held that with my mouth beforehand. I believe you can grasp the gist of it," the voice clarified. This had to be Venidith.
"O-Okay."
Once again, there was nothing; it seemed I could only manage to gasp for air in small increments. It's quite possible that I'm in a coma at this point. Ironically, I used to joke that if I ever found myself in a coma, I'd snap right out of it. Or perhaps, this isn't a coma but some issue with the Aura Network?
For 1,296,000 seconds, which translates to fifteen days of isolation, nothing changed except for the occasional conversations between, I presume, a nurse and Venidith.
Gradually, I began to hear more—the rhythmic beeping of a machine, the rustling of sheets, and the sound of liquid flowing, presumably indicating they were emptying my bladder. Various other sounds and noises filled the room.
Then, a doorknob turned and the door creaked open. It was evident that someone, or perhaps a group of people, had entered. Judging from their footsteps, there were about three of them.
"Alexander... You did so much to protect us," a voice sobbed. It was Hannah. She sniffled, "Sam already recovered thanks to Juliette."
"Juliette can't heal you because she's not sure if her healing will work," Hannah continued, now managing to speak more clearly. "Your blessing isn't just the moon; it's something more."
"If you can hear us, that means your Aura Network is simply malfunctioning," Venidith said. I could hear two sets of footsteps approaching. "This means that, if necessary, I'll have to perform reactivation."
"I wouldn't have believed in this 'aura thingy' if it were ten years ago... but it's pretty clear you're not in a coma," a male voice chimed in. I didn't know who this guy was. "We're here, and thank you very much for helping my twin daughters."
Thoughts flowed into my mind—visions of the girl in the robes and the nurse in the caves. Twin daughters? Could that nurse from the cave and Mina girl in robes?
"We'll be gone for a while, about a week, to check on the Marawi colony," Hannah said, her voice taking on a more cheerful tone. "I've got artificial limbs; it took me a while, but I managed to adjust."
A brief silence followed, a heavy one that made it feel like they were speaking to a dead man rather than someone alive. I just wanted to wake up from this coma or whatever it was.
"Don't worry, I'll stay here and watch over the village with Sam," Venidith reassured. I could feel her touch on my chest, abdomen, and near my crotch.
"Anyway, there's this shaman who's been researching things, and he seems to have answers," Venidith paused. "But he said it'll take a while."
"Until then, we'll wait," Venidith concluded, and I felt her gently removing her hands from my body.
I want to back...