Academy hospital room.
The soft light from the windows makes shadows on the white walls of the room. Dan slowly wakes up in a medical bed. His body feels heavy, and his muscles are weak.
"Where am I?"
He looks around and sees that he is in a hospital room with modern medical equipment. To his left is Elena, his older sister. In front of him is Tia, who is dressed like a knight.
"Sir, you're finally awake!"
Dan looked confused when he said this.
"What's going on? What are you and Elena doing here? And what happened with the Void Assassin?"
Tia replied in a calm manner.
"As soon as the young lady learned that you were mortally wounded, she immediately went to the academy . When she saw the large hole in your body, she almost went crazy.
Dan looked at Tia, waiting for her to continue.
Tia continued.
"She attacked the director of the academy."
Dan said, amazed.
"attacked the director ?"
"Of course, the director didn't take it seriously, and appreciated her condition. Also, the young lady has been donating her blood to you every week, despite the doctors' warnings. That's why she's so tired."
Dan looks at Elena, who is asleep in a chair next to the bed. Her face is pale, and she looks exhausted. He felt a little guilty; she thought of him as her brother, and he knew the truth. Then he looked at Tia and wondered
"Every week? How long have I been sleeping?"
Tia replied calmly.
"It's been a whole month."
Dan let out a sigh and said to himself :
"It's okay... at least I survived."
"If it weren't for the director using his artifact, you would have died."
Dan was surprised by Tia's look.
"Artifact? What do you mean?"
"When you were about to die, the Director used a rare artifact that only works once to stop time. This gave the doctors time to treat you and save your life."
Dan was shocked.
"Time stopped? I didn't know such pieces existed."
Tia nodded and said something.
"They are very rare and only used in extreme situations. The director didn't hesitate to use them to save you."
Dan was very thankful.
"I can't believe the director did all this for me."
Elena's hand moved slowly, then shook a little as she wiped her thin face. She let out a faint sigh, then opened her eyes slowly. She stared into space for a few seconds, as if her mind had yet to catch up with her exhausted body.
Then she looked at Dan, who was awake.
Her eyes widened immediately.
"Dan..." she said, her voice sounding rough. Then she got up from the chair and moved closer to him, holding his hand.
"You... you're really awake."
Dan smiled gently, even though he was tired.
"Good morning, Elena."
She couldn't stop her tears from flowing . She was trying to stay calm, but she couldn't.
"I thought I'd lost you."
Dan lifted his hand and placed it gently on hers.
"I'm sorry... I worried you."
She shook her head, wiped her tears quickly, and then said firmly:
"Don't say sorry. Your safe, and that's enough."
They looked at each other and said nothing. A feeling of gratitude, and relief filled the room for a moment.
There was a short, silent moment when Dan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that everything would be fine, but Elena's expression suddenly changed.
She moved away from him and stood still, her arms crossed, her eyes looking at him with the seriousness of a boss telling a worker to do something.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" She said in a dry voice.
Dan was surprised and about to say something, but she interrupted by raising her hand.
"Did you think before you attacked the Void Assassin? Who do you think you are, a hero from a fairy tale?"
"I was trying to..." Dan tried to explain, but Elena interrupted him with a scream.
"You were trying to die! Do you know what you did to us? You almost died! If it weren't for the Director, you wouldn't be here right now!
Tia said quietly, trying to calm things down:
"Ma'am, Dan survived. There is no need to—"
Elena raised her hand and remained silent. Then she continued:
"I promised our parents that I would protect you. But how can I protect you if you don't care about your own life?"
Dan looked at her for a long time, then said softly:
"I'm sorry... I thought I could stop it before he hurt anyone else. But I was wrong."
She walked over to us and sat on the bed. Her eyes looked less angry.
"I wasn't angry because you fought... I was angry because you didn't think about me or anyone else. I don't want to visit your grave, Dan."
Dan slowly reached out and placed his hand on hers.
"I promise... I won't take that risk again. Not just for you, but for myself as well."
Elena looked at him for a long time, then sighed and leaned in to give him a gentle hug.
"You're my brother, Dan. I may yell at you a hundred times, but I will never give up on you."
Dan smiled:
"I know... and thank you for not giving up."
Tia stood quietly in the corner, smiling slightly, and said:
"It's nice to see you two fight and make up, like nothing ever happened."
Elena laughed, wiping her eyes, and said:
"That's what siblings do, right?
Dan replied in a tired tone as he leaned back on the pillow:
"If this is what family love looks like... I'm afraid of the day you decide to hate me."
Elena shook her head and said in a sarcastic tone:
"Then I won't scream on you... I'll just break your bones."
Dan raised his eyebrows and said:
"I'm going to stay in bed a little longer... it's for my own good."
Then the door opened.
A tall man walked in. He looked serious, but his eyes showed that he was worried. He stopped walking for a moment when he saw Dan was awake.
"Dan Noctine." Ilaris said it in a deep voice, with the prestige of years and the weight of responsibility.
Dan felt nervous. He tried to sit up straight, but he couldn't.
"Mr. Director ..." he said gently.
Ilaris walked over to him, looked at his face thoughtfully, nodded slowly, and said:
"Finally... you're awake."
Tia respectfully interrupted:
"He woke up a little while ago, and the doctors checked him out. He's stable now."
Ilaris looked at Tia and then at us, and said:
"Your efforts were not in vain."
Then he looked back at Dan, his voice getting serious.
"Do you know how much it cost to save you, kid? It's an SS-class artifact, used only once..."
Dan lowered his gaze and said in a regretful voice:
"I understand, sir... and I won't do it again."
There was a moment of silence, and then the director sighed and said:
"I'm amazed you survived that hit. You're really lucky, even with time stopped."
Dan looked at him with concern, but didn't say anything.
The director smiled slightly and said:
"But at least you're alive. And that alone is... enough for now."
He was about to leave, but before he could, Dan said in a tired but clear voice:
"Mr. Direct, wait."
Ilaris stopped walking and turned toward him, raising his eyebrow.
Dan looked at him seriously, despite his weakness, and said:
"I would like to request a formal meeting with you and the deputy director."
Everyone in the room fell silent. Even Tia and Elena looked at him with astonishment.
The director looked serious again, his voice getting serious too:
"What you're about to say is related to the Void Assassin, right? Or is it something else?"
Dan nodded slowly.
"Both. I think it's time for a formal meeting... not only with you, but with those who represent my family as well."
The director took a step forward and said carefully:
"Who exactly do you mean?"
Dan answered:
"I want you to come to us... ask the family elders, tell them that what I have to say is important to the family as well."
Elena's eyes opened wide, and she said:
"Is what you're about to say really worth the trip?"
Dan nodded seriously.
"Yes, and more. What I'm about to reveal is not just for me... it needs to be heard by all the people who make the decisions." Dan nodded seriously. "Yes, and more."
The director and Elena looked at each other, and then the director finally said:
"Okay. I'll ask Mirsa to come in, since she's at the academy, and we'll start contacting Garem right away."
Then he looked at Dan for a long time and said:
"But make sure, Dan, that you're ready for what this decision means. What is said cannot be taken back.
Dan continued:
"There are things... I have to explain. I didn't understand some things before, but now I feel like I have to share them."
There was a few seconds of silence, then the director nodded and said:
"Good. We'll schedule the meeting when your health allows. Be prepared, Dan Noctein... the words spoken in that room are permanent."
This time, he left without looking back.