Aric's eyes fluttered open to the dim glow of artificial lights above him. His mind was hazy, and a dull ache throbbed in his right arm. The sterile antiseptic smell filled his nostrils, making it clear he wasn't near home.
Groggily, he shifted in the bed, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
"Where… where am I?" Aric mumbled, his voice hoarse.
A booming, cheerful voice answered from nearby. "You're in the hospital, kid."
Aric blinked, focusing his gaze on the source of the voice. Sitting at the edge of the room was a large man in the familiar blue and white uniform of the Sentinels.
He was big and sturdy, radiating warmth with a beaming smile. His broad shoulders and round face gave him an approachable, almost friendly appearance despite his massive size.
The big guy grinned. "Name's Bran, by the way. Bran Kinsley. Glad to see you're awake."
Aric's head buzzed as he tried to piece things together. The last thing he remembered was… the alley. The fight. The muggers. His eyes widened in panic, the memory rushing back in a flood. "Loren!" Aric gasped, his voice cracking with fear. "Where's Loren? Is he okay?"
Before Bran could answer, another voice cut in, stern and sharp.
"Calm down, kid," said Cassian, standing a few steps away, his arms crossed. The glasses-wearing Sentinel looked at Aric with a serious expression. "You're in no shape to be making a ruckus."
Aric's heart pounded as he tried to sit up, but the pain in his arm flared, forcing him back down onto the bed. He winced, clutching his bandaged arm. "But Loren—he was—"
Bran's expression softened, though his smile never wavered. "Your friend's in good hands. Your mother and sister are already here, but they went to check on Loren. His injuries were more serious than yours."
Aric was speechless. Loren… was hurt worse than him?
The thought sent a wave of guilt and fear crashing over him. He tried to sit up again, his body urging him to go to Loren, but as soon as he moved, the sharp pain in his right arm stopped him cold. He gritted his teeth, realizing the extent of his injury.
Cassian's stern voice brought him back to reality. "You're not going anywhere, not with that arm. The doctors will handle Loren. You just need to stay put."
Aric looked down at his arm, the pain now a dull throb that pulsed with every heartbeat. His mind raced with thoughts of Loren, but the helplessness of his situation began to settle in.
Bran nodded vigorously, his large frame bouncing slightly. "Yeah, just rest, kid. You're lucky we got there when we did. Don't worry, the doctors are the best in Valoria. They'll fix your friend up in no time."
Despite the reassurances, Aric's heart remained heavy. All he could do now was wait.
Aric lay in silence for a moment, the pain in his arm grounding him in reality. He glanced at Bran and Cassian, the two Sentinels who had saved his life, and the questions swirling in his mind since he woke up began to surface.
"What… what happened after I passed out?" Aric asked, his voice shaky.
Bran's expression brightened as he leaned back in his chair, eager to tell the tale. "Well, after you blacked out, things got interesting," Bran said, chuckling. "One of those guys—well, Cassian here handled him. Let's just say it was a quick death."
Standing quietly with his arms crossed, Cassian shot Bran a sharp look. "That's not something the kid needs to know," he said in his usual stern tone, clearly not interested in letting Bran go into too much detail.
Bran raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing heartily. "Alright, alright! After that, we managed to save the man they were trying to rob and the other four muggers? Well, they weren't so lucky."
Aric's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? What happened to them?"
Bran's cheerful expression softened, and he glanced at Cassian before continuing. "They were detained by us, of course. But after what we saw—what you saw—they were sent for… further investigation and... experiment."
Aric's heart skipped a beat. He knew what that meant. His mind flashed back to the muggers' sudden transformation, the dark red vials they drank, and the unnatural power that surged through their bodies.
It had been monstrous, terrifying even. The implications of what Bran was saying were unsettling.
"Experiment?" Aric repeated, the word catching in his throat. "You mean… because of what they took? The vials?"
Bran hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, it's not something we talk about openly, but yeah, those vials. They're not exactly normal."
Aric's curiosity flared, and he was about to ask more when Bran cut him off. "Look, kid, this is some pretty heavy stuff. You might not want to—"
Before Bran could finish, Cassian, who had remained silent until now, interjected with his usual bluntness. "He should know."
Bran glanced at Cassian, but Cassian ignored him, his sharp eyes locking on Aric. "What you see back there wasn't just some cheap trick or random drug."
Aric gulped hard, waiting for Cassian to continue. "It was an advanced compound—a drug created using the blood of monsters and, in some cases, Novas."
Aric's eyes widened in shock. "Monsters… and Novas blood?"
Cassian nodded. "That's right. Sometimes, it was a combination of both. Whoever made this is using technology we haven't fully understood yet. The effects are… dangerous, to say the least. It gives normal humans a power boost that could rival lower-tier Novas. But the cost is high. Those who take it become unstable, both physically and mentally."
Bran's usual cheeriness had faded, and he nodded solemnly. "It's not something we see every day, but when we do… well, let's just say it's bad news. These guys were probably testing the drug out, and you and your friend happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Aric's mind raced with this new information. A drug that could turn normal humans into something powerful enough to challenge Novas? The implications were terrifying.
"Do you know who's behind it?" Aric asked, his voice low.
Cassian shook his head. "Not yet. But we're working on it."
Before they could continue, the door to the hospital room slid open. Aric turned his head to see his mother, Elara, and his sister, Lira, entering swiftly yet composedly.
Both women carried themselves with grace and power that radiated through the room, immediately commanding respect.
Bran and Cassian stood at attention, saluting Elara in unison. Aric blinked in confusion momentarily, unsure why his mother was being treated with such deference.
He had always known her to be respected in the Auroran Empire, but this level of acknowledgment seemed unusual. There had to be more to her than he had realized.
"Thank you both," Elara said calmly, measuredly, nodding to Bran and Cassian. "For saving my son."
Bran, ever the beaming giant, grinned widely as he replied. "It was our duty, Lady Elara. And an honor, too, to save the son of David and Elara Valen."
Cassian, meanwhile, remained relaxed, his expression neutral as always. He gave a respectful nod but said nothing, letting Bran's friendliness carry the conversation.
Elara's attention shifted to Aric as she stepped closer to the bed, with Lira following behind. Lira's eyes were filled with concern, though her expression remained composed.
"Aric, are you alright?" Elara asked, her voice soft but carrying the authority of a deeply worried mother.
"I'm fine, Mom," Aric replied, but his tone was shaky. "What about Loren? Is he okay?"
Lira's face darkened at the mention of Loren's name. Her usual calm demeanor faltered momentarily, replaced by a grave expression. "Loren's injuries are… severe."
Aric's heart sank. "I want to see him," he said, his voice filled with urgency.
Elara placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Now is not the best time, Aric. The doctors are doing everything they can and need space to work. You should wait until tomorrow."
Aric clenched his jaw, the guilt gnawing at him. He had been the one to drag Loren into that alley. Loren shouldn't have been hurt like this.
Elara's gaze softened. "Tonight, Lira and I will monitor you and Loren. His parents aren't in the kingdom at the moment."
Lira then added, "Dad and Ryan were away on a mission. We can't contact Ryan, but Dad said he would quickly come to see you when he returns."
Aric nodded. He did not care if nobody could make it, especially Ryan and his father. They were busy with important things related to the safety of the Empire.
The one he worried about was Loren. Aric knew the truth behind his mother's words. Loren's parents weren't absent due to mere circumstances.
They simply didn't care enough about their son to stay by his side, especially after seeing him as a disappointment.
Super Intelligence? In the eyes of many, including Loren's parents, it was hardly a power worth considering, not when you compared it to the brute strength of someone like Agustin or Ryan.
One blow from someone like Ryan and Loren could be done for. His power didn't protect him from physical harm, and his parents seemed to care more about the power that could be wielded in battle than the brilliance Loren brought to the family.
Aric swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat. "Alright," he said quietly, though his mind was already restless.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this situation with Loren went beyond bad luck. Something darker was happening behind the scenes.
Lira stepped closer, her voice low and comforting. "Don't worry, Aric. We'll watch over him. The doctors are the best, and he's a fighter. You know that."
Aric nodded, but the weight of the situation pressed down on him, heavier than before.