Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

83 - Second Standings / 84 - The Evil Within / 85 - Love And Hope

Chapter 83 - Second Standings

Xyder Zephyr - POV;

My eyes slowly opened, only to be greeted by the bright shimmer of an overhead bulb while the whirring sound of a fan's blades was all while saved the room from an eerie silence.

"I told them you'd be fine. Hey, how are you?" Evelynn asked cheerfully. I turned to face her and I could see that she had been forcing a smile. The dark bags under her eyes served as definitive proof of her insomnia too. At the foot of the bed, Satella held a troubled and uneasy face although she lay unconscious and across the room from Evelynn, Storm emulated her position on a chair except he'd been out cold.

"I'm fine, but you don't look so good," I told her worriedly, "You haven't slept in a while."

"Haha. You got me," she laughed tiredly. I got off of the bed and walked towards her slowly.

"Hey. You shouldn't move around you know," she complained.

"It's okay," I said, sitting down beside her, "You should rest."

"Okay. Just a bit though," she yawned leaning towards me. I gently lay her down across the chairs and pulled one of my blankets over her while giving the second to Satella.

Looking over to Storm I whispered, "You'll have to make to with my sheets buddy," as I placed it over his subtly shivering body.

I proceeded to the outside where standing at the window sill, Nero had been smoking a cigarette as he stared into the distance.

"Well look who it is. How've you been enjoying your stay in the hospital?" I asked him as I approached.

"Huh? You're awake!" he exclaimed.

"Uh....... yeah," I responded.

"Sorry. I was surprised," he apologised.

"Those three spent the whole night with me didn't they?" I asked.

"Yeah. They must be k.o. by now," he laughed.

"Like babies. You seem to be fine though. You recovered from those injuries you got the night before rather quickly," I remarked.

"Hmm? Xyder.... how long ago was the second match of the tournament?" Nero inquired suddenly.

"Yesterday. And we left you here before heading to the match yesterday morning. Are you testing me for amnesia or something?" I joked.

"Xyder.... the tournament was two weeks ago. You've been comatose since then," he stated grimly.

"I've.... what? Wait.... I'm sorry, what?"

"It's true. So you don't remember. What's the last thing you recall?" he pressed.

"The last? That's uh.... that's right! The Kraken! I blasted him with that lighting attack and then..... that's it," I told him.

"You were in a serious state. That final attack certainly killed the beast but it left your body in a mess; dotted by lacerations, coated in third degree burns.... you went into cardiac arrest and suffered internal bleeding across multiple organs," he murmered.

"Indira Astra acted quickly to jumpstart your heart but it only restarted after five minutes of having gone cold," Dagan continued, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, "Evelynn, Satella and Storm..... they spent all day, every day over the past two weeks with you. The rest of us stayed interchangeably."

As he said this, from behind him came Jacqueline, Sorine, Disas, Celes and Winter. They all looked at me in shock and relief.

"Xyder!"