A light knock came from the door, bringing Galeon back from his thoughts. He had not intended to be deeply immersed in his musings in the first place as his head still felt a little heavy and clouded from his encounter with that unfathomable eye. He needed to rest his mind, the only part of him that could not recover swiftly even with the aid of Retroactive Physique.
As his attention returned, his gaze turned toward the door that finally opened to reveal a young woman wearing a nurse's uniform. With fair skin and short hair of gold and cyan mixed, combined with her petite figure and shining blue eyes, she was the very picture of bubbly.
When she saw Galeon awake and already sat up, she smiled a genuine smile, entering the room seemingly with a spring in her step. The small roll of towel she held in her hand caught Galeon's attention, but it did not seem to be anything of import. It just came off as strange to him.
"Hi! How are you feeling? Do you feel pain anywhere? I'm a nurse, so you can tell me anything. I'll help you through it!"
The moment she arrived in front Galeon, she immediately assaulted him with a barrage of words. She was so full of energy that Galeon felt exhausted just listening to her. A heavy sigh escaped him which fortunately made the nurse realise his discomfort. She smiled bitterly as she sat on a chair near the bed before speaking in a calmer manner.
Her voice this time sounded like a soothing melody that seemed to wrap around Galeon like a comforting blanket. Her cadence was slow but measured as though she had practiced it for a long time. It would have sounded unnatural if not for the fact that her expressive face also reflected her calm, patient and considerate tone.
"I'm sorry about that. My brother always scolds me for being too talkative when I get excited. Anyway, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, thank you. How long was I out?"
Although it did not feel like much time had passed, Galeon wanted to be certain. Time was very important for someone like him who liked to move on a schedule. It was even more important now that he was dealing with forces beyond the bounds of logic and common sense. He could never be too careful with this, even with the little details. The nurse put on a thoughtful expression before answering.
"Hmm, I think it's been about five days?"
For a moment, Galeon's mind blanked out. Five days? He had been unconscious for that long?! His encounter with that unfathomable eye-like entity should have been at most an hour or so. Or was it? Galeon could not tell. That place was outside the bounds of both time and space. There were literally no measurements that could apply to anything within that vacuous domain. For all he knew, he had spent years there and it would have only felt as though a single minute had passed for him. In that case, being unconscious for a mere five days was a blessing.
"Wait. You think...?"
"It's been a busy week, you know. There were so many patients that it gets hard to keep track of everything. Although we're only a small clinic, we still got flooded with patients since there were a lot of people to take care of after the beast tide. Even after that rain of light came down, there were still many injured, though not as grave as before."
"I see... at least tell me I made it to Melchior."
"Don't worry. You're in Melchior. But I do have to ask..."
The young woman squinted her eyes as she looked at him with an awkward expression. She seemed to be deliberating on how to broach the topic without sounding like she was mocking him. She was genuinely curious and concerned. The last thing she wanted to do was offend him because of an innocent question. But it did not seem like she could ever come up with a good approach in such a short time so in the end, she just gave up and began talking.
"Are you really alright? The night we brought you in, you were writhing around like you were in immense pain. You were also shouting something like 'I'm the shaper'. You really scared me and a couple other patients, you know. When I went to check on you thinking you were just having a nightmare, you were sweating buckets and were feverish. But for some reason, your clothes won't come off. I had to wipe you down as you are."
As she spoke about the events that happened in Galeon's sleep, she raised the towel she was holding and began demonstrating how she cleaned him. She wiped the small beads of sweat on his forehead and neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. Galeon just completely froze, unsure of how to react. Never had a person been so close before besides his mother, but even she did not act so intimately without care. This was a new experience. Fortunately, it did not take long for him to regain his reason. He stopped her hand by grabbing her wrist as he spoke.
"That's enough, thank you. I've inconvenienced you a lot this past week. How much was the bill?"
"Oh please, there's no need to mention it. You don't need to pay anything either. We didn't really treat you or anything like that."
The nurse smiled while shaking her head. It was her principle to be fair, but more importantly, she liked taking care of people. Being a nurse was not a job for her. It was her way of life. So she could not really bring herself to ask payment when she barely did anything for a supposed patient. Galeon, however, thought differently.
"You gave me shelter when I was unconscious when others would sooner throw me into the pits than bother with me. You have done a lot for me and I am grateful for that. But if you don't want to receive money for it, then I hope you'd accept this."
Galeon held her wrist with both hands as he let his powers run free. He would be attempting something that he had never tried before, but considering his skillset, he should be able to do it in theory. From his fingers that gently held her hand and wrist, a few strands of liquid crystal flowed out, coiling around each other as they looped around her wrist. And when the two ends connected, light began flowing through them, making the crystal glimmer. It was a bangle that seemed to contain the stars plucked straight out of the night sky.
"This bangle contains my power. When you are in danger, it will release the light that I stored within to create a clone of myself that wields the same level of power. You may also call out to it when you need it. However, there is only enough light within the bangle for three uses so don't waste them."
Once he was finished creating the bangle, Galeon finally let her go, but he quickly noticed that she had been in a daze for a while now. The young woman stared at the bangle in wonder, her eyes sparkling as they reflected the soft glimmer of the accessory that fit snuggly on her wrist. It was made for her, literally. And she could feel the genuine intent of its creator from the warmth it gave her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, a sense of companionship different from the one she shared with others. This felt intimate, or at least, she hoped so.
The young woman raised her head, her gaze meeting Galeon's who was observing her reaction with mild curiosity as he felt as though he had done something that meant more than just an act of gratitude. Even he himself was not entirely certain. He was never one to socialise much with other people after all. But this was a different feeling, and he quickly recognised that. He wondered what was different, and he found the answer as soon as he looked at his hands.
He could see them, flesh and all. He was without a suit now. He was vulnerable, standing in the presence of another person without nothing to shield his bare skin. He was no longer a Contractor hidden beneath a helmet. He was just a person now, finally meeting eye to eye with another. And perhaps it would not have been much of a difference if it were not for this girl before him.
She was a kind and gentle soul. It was her warm hospitality and sincerity that caught him off guard, and she managed to keep his guard low the whole time. In her presence, Galeon only felt the comfort of home that he had been missing. It was unlike the feeling he got from others he knew. They practically embodied the harshness of the world. And they lived to spread it. But this girl, she was a warm hearth, a safe haven that gently welcomed his weary body into its caring embrace. This moment, in her presence, was the safest and most peaceful Galeon had ever been in his entire life.
"My name is Galeon. What's yours?"
"I'm... Lily."
Their words were followed by a silence filled with an unknown tension. It was as though they were both had something to say but could not speak. They were stifled by a sensation that they did not quite understand. And after a brief mental battle, Galeon forced himself to speak... of whatever came to mind as he did not even know what to say. All he knew was that the did not want the conversation to end. He did not want to leave this awkward yet comfortable atmosphere. But as they shared some small talk about the most inconsequential things, Galeon received a notification.
[Guild notice: You have a commission pending completion. Report immediately.]
Galeon sighed as he finally remembered that he was not yet finished with his work. His commission had been left unreported for more than a week now. And although there was not really a time limit to this commission, he was expected to accomplish it as soon as possible. After all, it involved the abduction of a celebrity. He could not delay it any longer. He stood up unwillingly as he spoke to Lily.
"It seems I have to go."
"Oh... I see. But you'll be back right?"
"I don't know. I'm only in Melchior for work. Who knows where I have to go to next. But I'll try to visit if I can. I'll see you later, Lily. And thank you... for everything."
Galeon walked out of the room and headed straight for the clinic's exit. But before he could reach it, he heard the hurried steps of Lily running after him. In her hand, she held a device that Galeon recognised as a rather advanced communications device used by Contractors. He owned one as well which he synced with his suit's internal system. Seeing it in the hands of a nurse was strange, but he did not comment on it. Everyone had their own secrets. As Lily ran to him, she fiddled with the device, making it release a wave of Prismana within close proximity.
"I sent you my number. If you ever need help with anything or if you just want to talk, you can call me anytime. I... I'll be waiting."
Her last words came out so softly that it was barely audible, but Galeon heard it well enough. And the thought of someone waiting for him made his chest pound. His blood buzzed throughout his body, his overflowing energy seeking a release, but he reined himself in. He nodded with a smile as he finally left the clinic.