Stolen Time

Losing battle

The muted yet still harsh lights of the infirmary greeted John as he opened his eyes. Every inch of his body ached. He could feel his fractured ribs as he took in a breath a little too hastily. He could feel his broken arms as he tried to move under the blanket even with both being secured in casts. He could feel his throbbing head and the bandage stretched on his head as he turned, pulling on his head.

The healing tonic Doc must have forced down in his throat while unconscious had already taken effect based on the tingling sensation around his injuries. True relief was yet to come though.

He closed his eyes again. He didn't have to look around. He knew this place oh too well. He was a frequent visitor. Though not as frequent as he should have been these days after the wrath of the school like angry waves of the stormy sea crashed over his head. Sometimes he still crawled here, after ensuring Seraphina had already been seen leaving the premises. He couldn't risk worsening her condition when it was only a matter of time before other students noticed something was off.

Evie was there to delay the inevitable for now, but it certainly meant trouble for her as well.

Evie.

Just thinking about the sweet girl made John's stomach twist into a tight knot.

He was cocky and apart from not using his ability didn't care much about acting like an actual low-tier. It would have been pretty ironic from him, after all, he didn't act like a cripple even when he was actually one. Getting into fights was kind of his thing.

It was no wonder his mere existence pissed off most of the student body of a prestigious, highly regarded school with a high average ability level. But the thing was, that even if he didn't act the way he did, confident, careless, borderline ignorant... his peers would have still targeted him.

When he befriended Seraphina it only became worse. If not for her beating any student whom she caught targeting him and for his overall resilience and fighting spirit he would have already broken under the pressure that came with being her friend.

The problem was that Evie had neither of those advantages. She wasn't a fighter, and Seraphina wasn't in a condition to be her all-time protector. No, it was kind of the other way around right now. On top of that, even if Seraphina could deter others from going after her directly she still had friends who the others could use as blackmail material to hold over her head and break her spirit.

John growled.

'This damn school really made sure that Sera couldn't make any friends apart from other high tiers or maybe elite tiers.'

Could the elite tiers even be considered her friends? She found all of their resident elite tiers either annoying or not worth her time, but it was also due to Arlo's influence. Everyone who Arlo could pressure into submission was another set of ears and eyes for the king to spy on her. She couldn't trust anyone.

Evie was in danger, and that meant Seraphina's last and only trustworthy line of defense was also at risk.

But did he really have the luxury to care for anyone right now? He couldn't even keep himself safe, thinking about other people's safety seemed laughable when he was lying on an infirmary bed with two broken arms and several broken ribs, bleeding, and bruised.

Caring for others was a luxury he couldn't really afford. But caring about himself seemed pointless. What had his life become? Was there anything worthwhile to protect?

Was he just wasting his time here?

"I see you're awake," Doc's gruft voice from the other side of the room, breaking his downward spiral.