“VITALS NOW!”

“She has a pulse but it’s weak. We’re getting a pulse of 190 beats per minute! Her breathing is becoming rapid. I’m counting 30 respirations,” the healer said as they all rushed Embla through the building.

She lay on the stretcher, fading in and out of consciousness. The only sensation she knew was pain. Pain was her world and pain was what ruled her senses at the moment. Embla weakly opened her mouth to speak but said nothing. Her vision was filled with blinding lights that only served to contribute to the pain. The sound of their voices threatened to rupture her ear drums. The pain was beginning to completely rob her of her senses and body. She could no longer feel her left shoulder anymore. As the world spun out of control around her, Embla passed out once more.

“We’re losing her! Someone contact the Temple now! We need a Bishop-class Priest in here now!” the chief healer said.

Memento Mori followed closely behind the stretcher. Each of them had different thoughts on what they had just seen. But there was one emotion they all felt in common, it was rage. However, none felt it greater than Cal. The sight of Embla’s lacerated and bruised body being rushed into intensive care made his blood boil.

“Wait.”

The group stopped when one of the healers stopped outside a set of double doors. The rest of the healing unit disappeared behind them.

“What?” Cal asked, stepping forward.

The healer held his hand out. “Sir, I’m going to need you and your party to stay here,” the healer said.

“What? Embla’s our friend! Where she goes, we go!” Pandora argued.

“I’m sorry but anyone who isn’t undergoing any operation isn’t allowed back here at this point,” the healer said. “We’re sorry but that’s the law.”

“Operation?” Red asked, stepping forward.

“Yes, for her injuries. That massive injury on her shoulder and the hole in the lower abdomen. We’ll update you on any progress we’ve made so far but I implore you to let us do our jobs as healers,” the healer said.

Cal clenched his fist. His Arts flared, causing wisps of golden fire to appear around his fist and body.

“Cal, calm down,” Pandora said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Cal inhaled deeply and calmed down at his sister’s touch. He walked over to the wall and slid down to the floor, head buried in his arms. “She’s going to be fine, right?” Cal said with a hollow tone in his voice.

“I don’t know,” Pandora said. “They’ve called for a Bishop-class Priest so she might be.”

“Cal, she’s going to be fine. She’s pulled out of situations just as bad as this one,” Red said, standing next to Pandora.

Cal said nothing. It was unclear whether he acknowledged Red’s statement. The image of Embla’s broken body still dominated his thoughts and filled his heart with hatred. Hatred for this tournament. Hatred for Kaguya. And he was ashamed to admit it but he was filled with hatred for his leader. Cal looked up and saw Yuki looking at the floor with a hollow expression.

Without any warning, Yuki turned and ran out of the hospital. The action took them all by surprise and Red moved to go after her.

“Let her go,” Cal said. “Kaguya’s right. Running away is all she’s good at.”

“What did you say?” Red turned around with a furious expression on his face. He walked over to Cal and pulled him up by the collar.

“I said she’s a coward,” Cal repeated.

His statement caused Red to see red. He slammed Cal against the wall, sending cracks spreading across it. The medical staff all stopped what they were doing upon noticing the commotion.

“CAL! RED!” Pandora grabbed Red’s arm.

“Take that back,” Red said.

Cal’s silence only served to infuriate Red.

“I said take it back,” Red said. He bared his fangs at Cal as his grip tightened.

“I won’t! Embla’s in there because she believed in Yuki! She’s in there because she got involved in Yuki’s problem!” Cal spat.

“Yuki never asked for this!” Red retorted.

“And neither did Embla! But instead of actively dealing with her problem, she didn’t go confront her mother! She didn't confront Kaguya! Instead, Embla had to be the one to stand up for her and look what happened!” Cal yelled. “She’s in there and we don’t know if she’s even going to make it for Odin’s sake!”

“That’s enough!” Pandora ripped Red’s arm off Cal and threw him into the wall. Cal began to stand when a massive pressure brought him back down to the ground. The action shocked Red immensely as he never expected such a display of physical strength from someone as dainty as Pandora. “That goes to you too!” Pandora glared at her twin brother. “This isn’t anyone’s fault! This isn’t Yuki’s! Not Embla’s! Not anyone’s! Right now, we need to stay together for both their sakes! Red!”

Red snapped out of his stupor and looked over at the Elf Priestess.

“Go find Yuki! I’ll stay here in the hospital with Cal,” Pandora said.

Red nodded and made his way out of the hospital, leaving the twins alone in the hallway.

Cal let out a long-winded sigh and leaned back against the wall. “Damn it,” he cursed.

“You had no right going after Yuki like that. You and I know that Embla’s condition isn’t her fault,” Pandora said, glaring at her brother.

“I know… I… I just needed someone to blame,” Cal said.

Pandora looked down at her brother sadly. This was the first time in a very long time that he wore this expression on his face. The look in his eyes was one of true fear. The fear of losing Embla forever. She sighed and sat down next to her brother. Pandora placed her head on her twin’s shoulder.

“I’m scared too,” Pandora said.

Cal said nothing as the two sat on the cold hospital floor.

Yuki sprinted out of the hospital. Tears ran down her face, blinding her. She tore through the crowds. All she needed was to escape. To run away. To be as far away from that building. The sight of Embla’s broken, bleeding body constantly appeared in her mind. After several minutes of running, Yuki came to a stop in an alleyway and fell to her knees, sobbing.

She raised her fist and slammed it into the ground.

“Useless, gutless coward!” Yuki screamed. She looked up and saw her reflection in a puddle. Her own appearance disgusted her. Kaguya was right about everything. All Yuki knew was how to run. She was too weak to do anything and now, one of her closest friends had paid the price.

She curled up against a wall, bringing her knees up to her chest. Yuki’s body shook as she sobbed.

“Kaguya was right,” Yuki whispered. “I’ve never been strong enough to do anything myself. Alfheim and now here… everyone’s always solving my problems for me…”

“Yuki!”

Her ears perked up as she heard Red’s voice. She lifted her head from her arms and saw him walking around the street. Yuki remained silent. She wanted to be alone. She didn’t want to show her face to her teammates. Their weak disappointment of a leader who had to be protected by her subordinate.

“Yuki!” Red called out once more.

“I’m over here,” she yelled.

Red turned around and saw a disheveled Yuki sitting against the wall of an alleyway. He ran over to her with a worried look on his face. He said nothing and sat next to her. Red knew what she was going through. Seeing Embla like that made Red’s blood boil. He could only imagine the guilt Yuki felt.

“Where are Cal and Pandora?” Yuki muttered.

“They stayed in the hospital to wait for Embla to get out of the operating room. You’d be surprised at how much strength Pandora actually has,” Red commented, trying to lighten her mood.

Yuki buried her face in her arms. “This is all my fault,” Yuki said.

“Yuki, it’s-”

“Don’t say it’s not. You and I both know that it’s not true. The reason Kaguya is here is because of me,” Yuki said.

Red remained silent. Yuki took this as a chance to continue.

“If I hadn’t stuck my nose into something that wasn’t my business, if I never went into Gimle, if I stayed put inside the castle and did everything I was told, perhaps none of this would have ever happened. I wasn’t so selfish. If I didn’t rush things and got too overconfident. If I actually faced my problems head-on instead of running from them,” Yuki said.

“Cal and Pandora wouldn’t be in the hospital, waiting for Embla to be okay. You wouldn’t be stuck, hundreds of miles away from home, with me. And Kaguya wouldn’t be so hellbent on getting back at me for abandoning her,” Yuki said. “Maybe… Maybe I should go back. Kaguya was right… I wasn’t ready. I’m not going to be ready.”

“And Cal and Pandora would have never met Embla,” Red said.

Yuki gave him a confused look.

“All those people in Alfheim that you saved because you stuck your nose somewhere you shouldn’t would all be dead. Lord and Lady Honokami would have still been waiting to find the source of the infection,” Red said, looking up at the sky. “Think about everything you’ve done to get here. Sure, there were some hiccups on the way. We were exiled for your own safety. We may be far away from home. But everything happens for a reason. All our actions have rewards and consequences and that’s how we leave our mark on the world.

“Don’t let Kaguya get to you. You did the right thing at the cost of your own personal comfort. And… you were just a kid,” Red said. “Like Embla said, you were just a kid. A kid looking to prove yourself to your parents who are revered as living legends.

“And no one ever is ready. No one will ever be good at what they do. We can only be better and get better each day. You can’t give up now, Yuki. Embla put her body on the line just to stand up for you. Are you going to let her sacrifice and efforts be in vain by caving in to Kaguya?” Red asked.

Yuki looked down at the hem of her kimono. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her ears twitched in contemplation as she decided her next move. After a few seconds, Yuki sighed and opened her eyes. Red looked into them and saw a faint flicker of determination that was slowly growing stronger.

Yuki slowly got up and stood in the alley for a few minutes. Red looked up at her as she stood there silently.

“Let’s go back to the hospital,” Yuki said.

Red nodded and followed after her as she began to walk out of the alley.

“Hey Red?” Yuki asked.

“Yeah?” Red replied.

“Thanks. That made me feel a little better,” Yuki said, giving him a small serene smile.

Red smiled back in response. Yuki walked over and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly.

“Wha..?” Red gave Yuki a confused and surprised look. Between the two of them, Yuki was never one to initiate acts of affection yet it was always her who never wanted it to end.

“It… It makes me feel better,” Yuki said shyly.

“Y- Yeah,” he said.

“Is she out yet?”

Cal and Pandora heard the familiar voice and looked up. Yuki and Red stood in front of them. Cal’s eyes widened slightly at Yuki’s slightly reddened eyes. She had been crying.

“No, they’re still in there healing her. One of them came out and said she’ll be stable enough to be in bed,” Cal said.

“What about the Bishop?” Red asked.

“No one’s answered the call for one. At this rate, Embla might not be able to fully recover,” Pandora said.

The doors suddenly swung open as a group of healers came out with a mobile bed containing Embla. One of the healers broke off from the group and walked over to the party.

“Who’s responsible for her?” the healer asked.

“I’m her team leader,” Yuki said.

“Well, we managed to stabilize her. A lot of her wounds we managed to heal such as the wound on her lower left abdomen though and the broken bones she sustained. There are some injuries we weren’t able to heal,” the healer said.

“Hold on, you’re someone who specializes in healing magic and you couldn’t completely heal her?” Cal asked.

“Please understand that even we have our limits to what we can fix. The wound on her shoulder and arm is too severe to the point when we noticed that it was barely hanging on,” the healer replied. “None of our healers are skilled enough to heal a wound of that severity. If the wound were smaller we could but the wound nearly severed her entire shoulder. While we were able to close the wound, there are things only Bishops or higher are capable of healing and this is one of them.”

“So you’re saying…” Pandora trailed off.

“We’re saying that once she recovers, she might never be an adventurer ever again,” the healer said.

The group looked on in shock at the healer as he delivered Embla’s grim situation.

“Can we see her?” Yuki tentatively asked.

“Yes, of course. Follow me. The other healers must have gotten her set up in her room,” the healer said.

The group followed the healer down the hall, past several patient rooms. After a few more seconds, the group arrived at a room that was being vacated by several medical personnel. The healer knocked on the door before walking into an unconscious Embla’s room.

The others followed him in. Their eyes widened upon seeing Embla. Embla lay in the bed, completely unconscious to everything around her. There was an IV line going into her arm with a bag of medicine hanging on the stand. There was a mask over Embla’s mouth attached to a large green canister standing by the wall. A light screen displayed Embla’s vital signs that were acquired through a small meter attached to her finger. In addition, her entire body was covered in bandages.

“Embla,” Yuki whispered, clenching her fists. She subconsciously drew upon her mana, causing the temperature to drop a few degrees around her. Before her mana raged out of control, Yuki took a deep breath to calm herself down. She turned around and walked out the door.

“Where are you going?” Cal asked.

“To see my Mother. I’m not running away from this anymore,” Yuki said. She left without saying another word.

“She better not do something stupid,” Pandora said.

“She won’t,” Red said.

Yuki stood outside of a large manor. This manor was well known in Yggdrasil. It was used primarily by foreign diplomats or visitors with significant political status. It would stand to reason that her mother would stay here given her status. Yuki reached out to open the gate but stopped before her fingers could touch the cool metal. Her ears twitched and a familiar scent entered her nostrils.

“So you finally came to visit me.”

Yuki looked over her shoulder to see her mother standing behind her. She carried a small brown bag in her hand.

“We need to talk, Mom.”

NIght fell over the city of Yggdrasil. The city slowly transitioned to its nightlife as the sun dipped below the horizon. However, while the masses enjoyed their evenings, the hospital was still as busy as ever. There was never a day when it would be lax at the hospital. People came in and out every day for mundane illnesses or life threatening injuries. Due to its close proximity to Ataraxia’s Guild Headquarters and the Stadium, most of its patients were primarily adventurers.

A lone figure entered the hospital. She walked past the guards, whose jaws dropped in shock. She walked to the stairs and made her way to the facility’s third floor. When they saw her, the healers gave her a wide berth as she made her way to one of the stations.

“I’m here to visit someone,” the woman said.

The healer at the station looked up, prepared to rebuke the woman. They didn’t allow visitors past 8 o’clock in the evening. However, when she laid eyes upon the woman, her voice died in her mouth. Instead, she was only able to utter one word.

“V- Valkyria,” she said.

“Do you know where this patient is?” Valentina asked, placing a photo of Embla down on the desk.

“D- Down the hallway in Room 314,” the healer said.

Valentina nodded in thanks and made her way to the room. Upon arriving, she stood outside the door for a few minutes. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought as she wondered whether or not she should go in. Deciding that it was now or never, Valentina silently opened the door. Her azure eyes scanned the room and noticed that her sister’s party members were asleep.

She quietly walked in and made her way to her sister’s bed. Valentina frowned. The sight of all the bandages and wires reminded her of something in the past. She shook her head of such thoughts and focused on Embla.

Her sister had gone through so much due to her absence. Valentina moved a stray lock of hair from Embla’s face. Her eyes glowed as a chair materialized next to the bed. Valentina sat down and sighed.

“Sis, I’m home. I wish we could have met under better circumstances with you awake and yelling at me,” Valentina said. She gripped the edge of Embla’s blanket tightly. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry I left.”

A few tears fell onto Embla’s bed.

“I’m going to make things right. Koji told me that he visited earlier while I was finishing my report. The healer said that your arm might never be the same again but I say no. I know this isn’t much of a gift from your older sister but,” Valentina said. She raised her hand and hovered it over Embla’s shoulder. A blue glow emanated from her palm. Soft blue flecks of light fell softly on Embla’s skin. It sank through it as if Embla’s skin were made of water. After a few seconds, the light died and Valentina retracted her arm. She reached out and held Embla’s hand, gripping it tightly.

“I have a lot I want to tell you so please,” Valentina said. “Make sure you hurry and wake up, Baby Sis.”

“V…al?”