The Harmony of the Spheres

Arc 1:5

"... have to tell him."

"He could still be involved."

"Don't be an idiot."

"... his car..."

"You're dumber than you look. He pushed me out of the way— risked his own life to save me— and if you were thinking with your head rather than your pride, you'd know that Nicky loves you too much to hurt you."

"Or he loves me too much and thought he'd get rid of a rival."

"Urgh!" The stamping of high heels on laminate floor echoed through the room. "I refuse to talk to you when you're like this."

Before even opening his eyes, Nicholas could tell he was in a hospital. The bed beneath him was lifted slightly at his back and the sheets felt like thick cotton that had been washed a few times too many. His whole body felt heavy but slightly disconnected; the type of disconnect that only comes from drugs. When he twitched his fingers against the cotton blanket, a tug at the back of his hand let him know he was attached to a drip. Other than the knowledge that he was in the hospital and had some sort of tube up his nose, Nicholas wasn't all that clear on what was happening.

The last thing he remembered was pushing Louisa out of the way and then falling in front of the car himself. The overheard conversation between the original's best friends was evidence that simply saving Lousia, wasn't enough to complete his mission... did he also have to clear his name?

"System? Is there any way to know how far through the mission I am? Like a HP bar in a game?"

<Mission Progress Report requested.

Current mission: Save the Cannon Fodder Nicholas Kim

Progress: 73%

Enable Statistic Tracking

Yes

No>

"Statistic Tracking? What's that?"

<Information Option Accessed. Inputting request.

Information Request: Statistic Tracking

Statistic tracking is an optional function that can be turned on/off by the host. This function tracks the progress of the main mission. To view statistic tracking, blink rapidly then close eyes for three seconds. The tracking bar will appear and display the mission progress at any given time. This data changes according to host decisions. It is advised to check mission progress before and after making significant decisions to determine their effectiveness in the completion of the mission.

This information can be accessed at any time during the mission.

Enable Statistic Tracking

Yes

No >

"This information can be accessed at any time during the mission...." Nicholas grumbled under his breath as he mocked the system. "You guys really need an instruction manual for this stuff. It would have been good to know about this from the beginning."

< Enable Statistic Tracking

Yes

No >

Just as he made his selection, the door creaked open and two familiar (to the original at least) faces entered. Not even the concern evident on every line of Louisa's face could detract from her looks but the cold stiffness on Gabe's features made Nicholas recoil with the memory of his last death. Both noticed his flinch but assumed it was from the pain of moving.