I woke up to the sound of machines beeping, steady and methodical, as if they were keeping track of every excruciating second I'd been alive. When I opened my eyes, the clean white walls of the hospital room slowly came into focus. Everything hurt—a dull, throbbing ache, as if my entire body was one big, happy bruise.
as I turned my head slightly, feeling the tug of an IV in my arm. I let out a slight groan, my throat feeling dryer than the sahara desert, and, of course, the door decided to open right then. A nurse stepped in. her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her uniform looking way too crisp for how exhausted I felt. Her smile lit up as soon as she saw me awake. "Oh! You're up. That's wonderful."
"Well," I croaked, my voice cracking like a broken radio, "I do my best not to disappoint."
She chuckled, while stepping closer, holding a clipboard. "How are you feeling, Ethan?"
"Like I lost a fight with a freight train. How bad do I look?"
She tilted her head, pretending to size me up with a teasing smile. "Let's just say you and the train had a disagreement. But you're still here, so that's a win."
"Still here," I muttered, almost absently. "Guess that means I still have a shot."
Her eyebrows lifted slightly, her playful grin widening. "A shot at what, exactly?"
I blinked at her, fairly confused for a second. "Uh… leaving the hospital?" I guessed. "What else would I be talking about?"
Her laughter filled the room as she shook her head. "You're quick, I'll give you that."
The door opened, cutting off the moment, and the doctor stepped in. He didn't look at me right away, his focus locked on a tablet in his hands, his frown deepening as he read.
"Well," he said finally, glancing up, "you're awake. That's a start."
I shrugged. "Hard to stay unconscious forever. Though I hear it's all the rage these days."
The doctor didn't look amused. He moved closer, setting the tablet down. "Ethan, do you know what happened to your mana core?"
My brows furrowed. "My core? No. Why?"
The nurse shifted uncomfortably, her posture stiffening. The doctor sighed. "It's broken. Leaking. Severely."
"Leaking?" I repeated, my voice flat. "Like… dripping onto the floor? Should I call maintenance?"
"It means," he said, ignoring my sarcasm, "your mana flow is unstable and weak. It's not regenerating properly. This kind of damage is rare, usually from extreme strain or serious trauma. Do you remember what caused it?"
I paused for a moment, feeling the weight of his question. My mind flashed back to Nolan, Lucas, and the others. The pressure of Nolan's gravity magic, the laughter, the taunts—it all played back like a bad dream.
But I wasn't about to explain all that. "I fell down the stairs," I said smoothly.
The nurse blinked, caught off guard, then smirked faintly. "Stairs?"
"Yup," I said, nodding. "Long flight. Hit every step on the way down. Real textbook clumsiness."
The silence stretched for a beat too long.
"Right," the doctor said finally. "Well, whatever happened, you're lucky your core hasn't completely shattered. You'll need to avoid using magic and rest for the next few weeks. No exceptions. Got it?"
"Crystal clear," I said with a mock salute.
The doctor muttered something under his breath and left the room without another word.
The nurse lingered, her gaze settling on me with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
I watched her for a moment, then cleared my throat. "You know, all this lying around makes a guy think. Are you free this weekend?"
She froze, her expression shifting into something caught between surprise and amusement. "What?"
I gave her my best lopsided grin. "Dinner, maybe a movie? Just you, me, and my hospital gown. I promise I'll even wear slippers to class it up."
Her lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought she might actually laugh. Instead, she shook her head, smiling faintly. "Ethan, you're too young for me."
I clutched my chest dramatically, leaning back against the bed. "First my mana core, now my heart. You really know how to kick a guy when he's down."
She laughed softly, shaking her head as she packed up the clipboard. "Rest, Ethan. You're going to need it."
"Yes, ma'am," I said softly, my grin fading as the door clicked shut behind her.
The smile disappeared entirely as I stared at the ceiling, the hum of the machines suddenly louder, heavier.
A broken mana core. The one thing that defined your strength in this world, and mine was defective. Weak. Useless.
I felt my throat tighten, and for the first time, I couldn't hold it back. A shaky breath escaped, followed by another. My eyes burned, and before I knew it, I was crying silently, the tears slipping down my cheeks as I clenched my fists.
I wasn't just broken. I was a failure.
I buried my face in my hands, willing the feelings away, but they wouldn't stop. The laughter of Nolan, Lucas, and the others echoed in my mind, louder than the machines, louder than anything else.
When the tears finally stopped, I was exhausted. I sank back into the pillow, my chest heaving. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard the nurse's voice again, telling me to rest.
"Broken core, broken heart," I muttered to myself, my voice raw. "Guess I'm really on a roll today."
And with that, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over.