Zein watched Alex lying in bed, enshrouded in a white, pristine blanket that hid his form from prying eyes. It had been two weeks, and Alex had yet to wake up. Zein slowly stood up from his chair, his coat fluttered with every movement. He took small strides towards Emilia's office as he tried to recollect his thoughts.
"Zein," Zein's thoughts tuned out the voice calling him.
'How did all that damage ensue in that battle? From the looks of things, it wasn't the goblin that did most of it. Some of the trees had its blood in them and even the ground was dyed in its blood.' Zein was so deep in his thoughts that he failed to notice that he was being called.
"Zein," Emilia was now getting irritated and pinched Zein's cheek to get his attention. "Emilia, what are you doing?" Zein winced, rubbing his cheek as he turned to Emilia, who had just let go but was visibly agitated.
"You know better than not to ignore me." Emilia was busy cracking her knuckles causing Zein to take a slight step back in fear.
"Zein, why don't you come into my office so we can speak more about what is on your mind?" Emilia took Zein by the hand and led him to her office.
Zein took his hand from Emilia's hold and plopped himself down on the chair across from Emilia. He let out a deep sigh as he rubbed his forehead trying to appease a headache that had the ferocity of a vengeful God. Emilia's eyes carefully scanned the man before her and noticed the subtle signs he was extremely worried about, most likely because of his blue-haired protege.
"You are yet to tell me what happened two weeks ago to our apprentice, who is still lying in his room in the aftermath of that training session." Emilia adopted a stern expression and a slightly authoritative but caring voice jolting Zein from his thoughts.
"I don't know where to start actually," Zein looked down to his thighs and started softly rubbing his knuckles.
"The beginning is usually said to be the best part," Emilia was looking squarely at Zein's face causing his eyes to settle on hers.
"During that training session, I took him on one of my quests to hunt an E-rank monster, specifically the phantom goblin," Emilia gave Zein the 'are you serious look' for God's sake who takes a child to battle a monster that can kill grown men.
"Before you open your mouth and tell me how fucked up it is to take a child to hunt such a monster that can kill grown men I would have dealt with it either way." Zein tried dissuading Emilia's fears.
"Okay then, please continue," Emilia slightly relaxed in her chair as she waited for Zein to continue his side of the story.
"I stepped out for a few minutes to go and do some errands but when I returned to the area the damage was as if there was a small-scale battle taking place there. I rushed to the place where I heard the clashes were more prominent." Zein took in a deep breath not sure how to deliver the revelation. The suspense caused Emilia to shift closer to the edge of her seat.
"Upon arrival, I saw an unconscious Alex and went to check up on him. I saw that his hands were coated with the green blood of the goblin. This naturally caused me to turn my head towards where I assumed the body of the goblin to be and saw that its head was missing. More like it had been turned to mush. The battlefield did not fare well either as some of the trees were reduced to stumps and the ground had been dyed in the green color of the goblin's blood." Zein paused letting his words sink into Emilia's mind.
"That is not normal by any means. Unless his body was taken over by a God temporarily this would mean…" Emilia's words trailed off as her eyebrows widened in surprise as it now kind of made any sense.
"Unless we go see his body that's when we will know," Zein and Emilia stood up simultaneously as they left to go towards Alex's room.
They took slow steps while basking in the silence as they were approaching Alex's room. Emilia broke the silence and asked a question that had been on her mind since the meeting earlier on.
"How did checking his body slip your mind?" Zein bashfully looked sideways as he tried to make himself appear smaller.
"How was I supposed to know?" Zein was trying hard to look anywhere but where Emilia was.
"I thought that you would know being a contractor and all. Maybe it's just after so long of being inactive you have become weak." Emilia's words caused Zein to take a step backwards as the words were prodding sore points.
"Never mind, you have always been weak for as long as I remember." That was the final straw that caused Zein to kneel while a cloud of despondency hovered over his head while muttering 'Emilia be careful about what you say more often'.
Once they reached Alex's room Zein opened the door and both of them ushered themselves in. Emilia walked over to where Alex's body was hidden from the rest of the world by the white blanket. Emilia opened the blanket and examined Alex's front side and saw no marking that would evidence a contract.
"Zein, would you be a dear and turn over Alex's body for me." Emilia pulled off the legendary puppy eyes and coupled with her beauty it became a formidable weapon that no man would be able to resist.
Zein grumbled but did as he was instructed by Emilia. Emilia lifted Alex's shirt and saw that there was no symbol of the contract but instead, there were crack-like markings covering his back. Emilia realized immediately what the cracks meant from her days of being a scholar. She traced her index finger across the cracks on the skin that were slowly mending itself.
"The puzzle has now partly been solved." Emilia tapped her chin as she pondered on the remaining pieces of the puzzle which she felt would take a long time to fit together.
"So far from my discovery, it seems that a God forcefully manifested itself using Alex's body as a medium so it seems." Emilia turned to Zein to share her discoveries with him.
"How did you come to such a conclusion?" Zein's attention was immediately captured by Emilia's words.
"To start things off there is no presence of a contractor's magic circle on his body. There is also the presence of cracks on his body…." Emilia trailed off as realization dawned on Zein's face.
"That only appears when a God forcefully possesses one's body," Zein looked at the boy who lay in the bed before him in concern.
"Do you know when he might wake up?" Zein questioned Emilia.
"I have no idea. We will leave it up to time to tell." Emilia turned to usher herself out of the room.
Zein looked at his unconscious pupil's body and he let out a sigh he returned the blanket to its original position to cover his form from the world. Zein once again let out a sigh as he left the room to go to the guild hall to do other tasks. Zein was so deep in thought that he did not watch where he was walking causing him to bump into an adventurer.
"Oh sorry. I didn't watch where I was going." Zein bowed his head slightly to show that he was apologetic but did not look at who he bumped into.
"Zein." Mori's voice caused Zein to immediately realized that Mori had finished recuperating from their brawl.
"Oh, It's just you." Zein turned away and continued walking towards the guild.
"What do you mean by it's just you?" His question was only met by Zein's silence as he continued to march towards the guildhall.
"Once I am back at a hundred percent I will be back to challenge you and I will win for sure." Zein stopped in his steps and smirked at that statement his spirits slightly being lifted.
"You are welcome to try. Either way, you will lose." Zein continued walking ignoring the shout of 'Hey we are not done talking.
(Meanwhile Elsewhere in the kingdom)
"I went through a lot of trouble to find out information about you street urchin. I hope that when the time comes to set my plans in motion you will be able to provide me satisfaction, Alex Redstone." The moonlight shone to illuminate a figure that was seated on his bed while his blonde hair reflected some of the light and his green eyes shone in malice.
"I will be waiting for the time you will become a contender worthy of my attention." The figure's face had a hate-filled expression as it scowl grew even deeper as he thought about one Alex Redstone.