I didn't feel any part of my body. It was as if an elephant had crushed me, leaving me empty inside, as if my soul had left its abode. He only heard echoes, distant voices that he could not decipher. Someone was talking... but of what? My eyelids were heavy like dumbbells that were impossible to lift, but still, slowly, I managed to open my eyes.
Everything I saw at first was a blurry, blurred place, impossible to recognize.
"We have lost too many men," said a voice from my left... or maybe from my right. I wasn't sure.
"They have us under their own ropes," replied another voice, grave, full of concern. They know our weaknesses. They manipulate us as they want.
Although he did not fully understand what they were discussing, the tone of his words made it clear that the situation was delicate. With each passing second, my sight was slowly recovering. Finally, everything became clearer. I was lying on a bed, on what looked like the lowest floor of a castle. Around me there were more beds, some occupied by sleeping people... and others by bodies covered with blankets soaked in blood. At that moment, I couldn't move or feel joy that I had survived. I was static, trapped in my own paralysis.
I tried to speak, but my throat only made a muffled noise.
"E—... — I wanted to say something, but the words resisted, as if my vocal cords were torn.
One of the voices stopped suddenly. I felt someone approaching.
"He's alive," a man whispered, surprised. Then his tone changed completely. He's alive! You! Call Felix, now!
From the way they reacted, it seemed that they thought I was dead. I shook my head slightly to the side with what little strength I had left, and my heart seemed to stop for an instant. On the next bed, a man lay covered with a black blanket. But the tissue didn't cover her entire body: she could clearly see that she was missing an arm. The sight filled me with a cold terror that made my heart race.
Soon after, one of the men returned accompanied by a peculiar figure: a feline demihuman. His eyes widened when he saw me.
"My God...!" he exclaimed, incredulous. I can't believe you're still alive.
He quickly came over and placed his hand on my chest. Instantly, a warm glow rose from his palm, coursing through my body. The relief was so immediate that it almost felt like a miracle.
"Can you move?" He asked in a soft voice.
I tried to answer, but the words still didn't come out. Instead, I managed to shake my head slowly.
"Perfect," he murmured with a smile.
The two men watched in amazement, as if witnessing a corpse resurrected. My limbs, numb until recently, began to respond. I raised my head with difficulty, fearing that my arms or legs had disappeared. To my relief, they were still there, intact.
After a while, the feline took his hand away from my chest and let out a sigh of relief. The smile on his face was almost contagious.
"Of the more than a hundred soldiers sent to fight the archbishops..." His gaze drifted to the dozens of corpses that filled the room. You're the only one who has survived.
His words hit me like a hammer. They stuck in my mind, painful, as if piercing my own thoughts. My hearing, still too sensitive, made even his voice sound deafening.
"Do you think you can get up?" Felix asked, offering me a hand.
I looked at him suspiciously, fearing that a single movement would be enough to crumble me. Still, I tried. Carefully, I moved one leg toward the floor. At first it was like trying to lift an impossible weight, but it gradually became more manageable. I continued with the other leg, until my feet touched the cold stone surface. With a slow and painful effort, I managed to sit up on the edge of the bed.
"Mr. Felix, should we inform Mr. Subaru of this event?" One of the men asked, nervously.
"No," Felix denied firmly. I will tell you myself in person.
With each movement, I felt as if I learned to use my body again. Finally, I managed to get to my feet, although staggering. The dizziness and lack of balance made me feel like a child taking his first steps. I didn't know how much time I had spent in bed, but the only thing that mattered now was answering the question that tormented me: How did I end up here?
"Do you need help or—"
"No," I interrupted, trying to sound determined. I think... I can walk on my own.
Félix looked at me, skeptical, but did not insist.
"I don't know what kind of magic you've used, but..." I feel like new. I said as I stretched my back, hearing a crack.
Felix looked down, visibly sad.
"I don't think you've fully healed, for my magic is temporary. It's like a dose of adrenaline; sooner or later you will feel the pain.
"Does that mean I'm going to collapse suddenly?" I asked in an alarmed tone.
Felix let out a small laugh.
"No, don't worry. But you'd better see a top healer. My powers can't deal with such deep wounds.
His explanation left me uneasy, but I nodded. Before I could ask another question, Felix continued:
"I need to make a report to return you to the army once you recover." But first, tell me: what's your name?
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. I looked at him confused.
"My... name? I repeated, like a child caught in a surprise exam.
Félix's face went from disbelief to worrying seriousness.
"No... Do you remember your name? he asked, almost fearfully.
I looked at the ground, feeling a growing anguish. I didn't remember anything: not my name, not my job, not my past.
"I don't know what my name is. I murmured at last.
Felix let out a frustrated sigh.
"This is worse than I thought. Come with me. I know someone who maybe can help you remember.
Without saying more, he took me out of the room, which I realized was a morgue. Passers-by wore white robes with hoods that hid their faces. Some watched in silence; others, horrified, as if seeing someone alive get out of there was a miracle.
"Who are all these?" I asked.
"Healers, like me. But more... Novice.
Félix and I advanced along a corridor that seemed to have no end, its bare and gloomy walls amplifying the monotony of each step. Finally, we arrived at a spiral staircase that stood like a challenge. The structure had an ominous air, as if each turn hid an unknown secret.
"This," I murmured, trying to contain my frustration. I don't think I can upload them right now.
Felix put a hand to his chin, adopting a thoughtful expression. His eyes swept up the stairs, as if he were calculating each step and the effort they would involve.
"You're right," he finally admitted, turning to look at me. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate.
The silence that followed was awkward, broken only by our breaths and the rhythmic footsteps of the healers passing by, their white robes undulating with movement. Felix broke the moment with a sudden decision.
"Get on my back," he said firmly.
I looked at him without reacting, my face still expressionless, as if the weight of amnesia and tiredness had frozen my emotions.
"I don't think you can support my weight," I objected, looking at his slender arms, neat and scarred, but clearly not designed to carry anyone.
Felix rolled his eyes, his expression mixing determination and exasperation.
"Don't worry about that. Just do it before I regret it.
I sighed and, without further discussion, settled on his back carefully, adjusting myself so as not to make it more difficult than necessary. His arms trembled slightly as he held me, and his breathing already seemed heavier before I took the first step.
With a palpable effort, Felix began to ascend the spiral stairs. Each step became a small battle, the echo of his footsteps and gasps echoing through the narrow space. Halfway through, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach that caused me to move involuntarily.
"Hey! Felix exclaimed, staggering dangerously backwards as he tried to regain his balance.
"Excuse me," I said between my teeth, the pain still piercing me.
— What's going on? He asked, genuine concern in his voice. Are my effects fading yet?
"No, it is not that," I replied quickly, fearing to alarm him. It's just... a stomach ache. Nothing serious.
Felix sighed heavily, clearly exhausted both physically and mentally. The tension of the moment still weighed in the air, but without saying more, it continued to rise. Each step seemed like a bigger challenge, but we finally reached the bottom of the stairs.
When I reached the upper floor, an intense light came through the windows, blinding me momentarily. I blinked several times before adjusting my vision and noticing the radical change in the environment. The hallway in front of us was a masterpiece in contrast to the desolate lower level.
Where before there had been cold and austerity, now a floor carpeted in deep red stretched like a river of velvet. The air was filled with a sweet scent, like a field of roses in the middle of spring, and the walls, adorned with intricate gold details, seemed to glow in the filtering sunlight.
Carefully, I got off Felix's back, trying not to hurt him more than he should have already been from the effort. As I put my feet on the carpet, a warm and comforting feeling ran through me. The contrast with the cold stone floor of the lower level was so stark that I almost wanted to lie down there and let myself be enveloped by the soft material.
"Well," Felix murmured between gasps. At least we succeeded.
I didn't answer, but my eyes swept over the new space, trying to take it in. It was a different world than the one we had left behind, and each step reminded me that I didn't yet know what awaited us at the end of the road.
I looked down at my feet, realizing, with a distant surprise, that I wasn't wearing any kind of footwear. The discomfort of the hard floor should have made me uncomfortable, but the only thing that filled me was a strange feeling of indifference. My bare feet touched the cold stone on the ground, but it didn't hurt, it didn't bother me. Something inside me had already disconnected, as if my body was not mine, as if I was simply in a dream from which I could not wake up.
Noticing the absence of footwear, I looked at what covered my naked body: a white coat. To wipe away the dust of battle, or what was left of my being, must have been a miracle. It was surprisingly clean, almost pure. For having been "dead" in combat, it seemed that nothing had touched me. The funny thing was that he didn't feel cold. No chills, nothing. Just an eerie calm. Neither the air, so fresh, nor the surroundings bothered me. Was that normal? Or was it another sign that something inside me had shut down? It was strange, unsettling, and yet, I didn't have the energy to question it anymore.
"Everything in order?" Felix asked, noticing that I was pensive, motionless, as if I were not really there.
It took me several seconds to respond. During that time, I didn't open my mouth, I stared at the ground, lost. The weight of my own existence seemed so heavy at the moment that even moving seemed like a titanic effort. I raised my head slowly, as if the act of moving it required all my energy. I felt empty, unable to articulate a word without exhaustion tearing me apart.
"Yes, yes," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper, as if my vocal cords couldn't handle the effort.
But something else happened then. An overwhelming tiredness began to take hold of me, not just any tiredness, but an uncontrollable desire to remain still, to stop doing anything. As if the simple fact of existing became an unbearable burden, as if there was no energy left in me to continue fighting.
"I think my healing magic is wearing off... So soon?" She asked herself, almost not believing it.
"It's not that, it's not that," I murmured, without much conviction. Let's keep walking to our destination.
Felix looked at me, his expression was a mixture of concern and frustration, but he didn't say anything. He sighed and began to walk again, leading me with firm steps. I followed him, although my steps were slower, almost dragging my feet. I looked around with a mixture of amazement and confusion. The walls adorned with statues, intricate paintings, details that were only found in the palaces of the nobility... This place was stunning. Was it a castle of the nobility or just a normal castle, adorned to look something grander? Questions piled up in my mind, but they didn't matter. My head was too foggy to process anything other than the heavy feeling of exhaustion that oppressed me.
So lost in thought, I didn't realize that I was walking around without paying attention to myself. A sudden shock brought me out of my trance. I fell to the ground suddenly, unable to keep my balance. The blow was dull, but I felt no pain on impact. My body just stood there, empty, emotionless. I looked at the man I had bumped into, but even contact with him couldn't rekindle anything in me. I just watched, with total expressionlessness. As if I didn't even have the strength to apologize.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, almost inaudible, without looking up.
The purple-haired man, a tall fellow with a straight, elegant posture, got up with almost mechanical rapidity, shaking off his jacket and pants with a professional attitude. He offered me his hand, which I accepted without saying a word.
"It's okay," he said in a firm, professional tone. I hope he is well.
The man turned to Felix, his distant gaze.
- Felix, who is this guy? He asked calmly.
Felix looked at me briefly before answering.
"I was in the morgue." We thought he was dead," he explained bluntly.
The man looked at him, and then looked at me carefully. His gaze was cold, professional, as if what Felix had just told him was an everyday occurrence.
"I see," he said, looking at my white coat. He is in perfect condition to have been dead. Was he a soldier? he asked, with neutral curiosity.
Felix nodded, his face grave.
"Everyone there is a soldier who fell fighting the witch's cult."
The man seemed to ponder for a moment, lowering his head slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he picked it up again and looked at me.
— What's your name? He asked, his eyes fixed on me.
Felix hesitated, staring at the ground for a moment before answering.
"Well," he said, his tone doubtful. The problem is, we think he has—" He moved close to the man's ear and whispered something I couldn't hear.
"I see," he murmured, now with an intrigued expression.
— By the way, do you know where Subaru is? Felix asked, in an urgent tone.
- Of course, it's in that room over there. The man pointed to the door at the end of the hall on the right. But at the moment he is with Emilia. I don't know if it's available...
Felix sighed, visibly frustrated.
"We'll knock on the door and see what happens." I need Subaru to see it.
The man nodded, said goodbye to Felix and me, and began to walk away with firm and elegant steps, until he was lost in the stairs we had climbed.
"Who was that man?" I asked, curious.
— Julius. He is a spiritual knight. He replied
"Spiritual knight?"
— Yes, that's right. He uses spirit magic to fight, and he is the best in the entire kingdom in that field.
I nodded slowly, understanding what he was explaining.
Felix began to walk again, leaving me behind.
"Wait," I murmured, in a barely audible voice, my palpable tiredness. I didn't know why I felt such sudden fatigue, but I had to admit that, strangely, it was beginning to feel comforting.
After what seemed to me the longest corridor of my entire life—if I had ever walked another, I was no longer sure—we finally arrived at the door Julius had pointed out to us.
Felix walked over to the huge wooden door, raised his knuckles, and knocked several times. For a moment, it seemed that no one was going to answer, but just as the wait became unbearable, the door opened slightly.
"Perfect," Felix murmured, almost relieved. Come on, come in.
With a firm gesture, Felix pushed the door open, leaving it wide open. Without hesitation, I advanced to his side and we entered the room together.