Xavier jolted upright, his chest heaving as panic gripped him. His breath was ragged, his heart racing. For a moment, he thought he was still in the dungeon, surrounded by molten horrors. The vivid image of the centipedes tearing into his flesh flashed across his mind, causing him to frantically inspect his body.
Hands. Legs. Torso.
Nothing.
His trembling hands ran over his skin again and again. Not a scratch, not a scar—there was no evidence of the searing agony he'd endured. His body was whole. He clenched his fists, feeling his strength, even noticing that his limbs felt… good. Better than they had in years.
Xavier's eyes darted around the room, realizing he was no longer in the hellish dungeon. The sterile white walls, the steady beeping of a heart monitor, and the soft hum of fluorescent lights told him he was in a hospital.
He sank back into the bed with a heavy sigh, confusion swirling in his mind. Was it all just a nightmare? Had he passed out in the dungeon and imagined the whole thing? But no—he could still feel the phantom pain of molten teeth tearing at his flesh, the crushing force of the boss's blade. It had been too real.
His thoughts were interrupted when his eyes landed on the figure slouched in the chair beside his bed.
She was beautiful.
Her dark blue hair was neatly tied back into a ponytail, cascading down her back. Even in her sleep, her emerald green eyes seemed to radiate warmth and intensity. She wore a tailored suit that hugged her form, exuding both elegance and authority.
It was Anna, Anna Grace.
Xavier's heart sank. He hadn't seen her in years—not since high school graduation, when he left her and her family behind to carve out a path of his own. A path far away from her father, the S-rank hunter Richard Grace, and the weight of expectations that came with being around people like them.
Yet here she was, sitting by his bedside.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he watched her. Despite everything, she still looked just like the Anna he remembered—except now she carried an air of maturity and strength, befitting her rank as an A-rank hunter. But why was she here?
The door creaked open, snapping Xavier out of his thoughts. A doctor stepped in, clipboard in hand.
"Good to see you awake," the doctor greeted, his voice calm and professional. "How are you feeling? Any dizziness, nausea, pain?"
"I… I feel fine," Xavier replied, his voice still hoarse. "Better than I probably should, honestly."
The doctor raised an eyebrow but nodded, jotting down a few notes. "That's good to hear. If anything changes, let one of the nurses know."
Xavier hesitated, then asked the question that weighed on him the most. "How much… How much is this going to cost me?"
The doctor blinked, looking puzzled. "Didn't she tell you?" He gestured to Anna, still asleep in the chair. "She took care of everything."
Xavier's stomach churned. He should've known. Of course Anna would step in—it was just like her. But the thought of owing her, of being in debt to her again, made his chest tighten.
He nodded silently, thanking the doctor.
The doctor gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll keep you for a couple more days, just to monitor you. Awakened or not, it's better to be cautious." With that, he left, leaving Xavier alone with his thoughts.
…..
Xavier sank back into the bed, rubbing his temples. He knew he should've asked the doctor about the dungeon, about the C-rank gate, about Ellis and Brandon. But the memory of Brandon elbowing him, sending him hurtling into the dungeon, made his blood boil.
"Bastard," Xavier muttered under his breath, clenching his fists.
But something else drew his attention.
A glowing, red-and-white interface hovered in front of him, translucent and faintly pulsing. Xavier blinked, scratching his head. It wasn't a hallucination, was it?
The words on the screen were illegible, distorted, and constantly shifting. He reached out hesitantly, but before he could do anything, a soft voice pulled his attention.
"Xavier…?"
He turned his head to see Anna rubbing her eyes, her voice groggy but filled with concern.
Her emerald eyes widened as she fully woke, and she immediately stood, rushing to his side. Before Xavier could say anything, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, her embrace warm and trembling.
"Thank god…" Her voice cracked, and Xavier could hear the relief—and the worry—laced in her tone. "You're okay. You're really okay."
Xavier's chest tightened with guilt. He could feel the weight of her emotions in her trembling body, and he hated himself for making her feel this way.
He hugged her back, his voice soft. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't mean to worry you…"
It had been four years since they'd last spoken, and this wasn't how he imagined their reunion. But as he held her, he felt a strange sense of comfort.
He murmured awkwardly, managing a faint smile. "It's… been a while."
Anna pulled back slightly, her teary eyes locking onto his. "Four years, Xavier. It's been four years."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Xavier didn't have the courage to reply, so he simply nodded, his smile fading as guilt gnawed at him.
For now, the questions about the dungeon, the interface, and everything else could wait. All that mattered was the person in front of him—the person who had stayed by his side when he needed it the most.