The Challenge of the Masters

⊱⊰ 40: Departure [Revised] ⊱⊰

Arisa slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the light pink colored walls with a small number of lotus flowers decorating them. She spotted a cream-colored nightstand by her bed with a small vase exhibiting more lotus flowers.

She rubbed her eyes. Where am I?

A rain of memories flooded her mind. She remembered the sudden attack of the crow creatures and how she and her friends did their best to help the Lunarians. Something tightened in her chest as she remembered the encounter with the boy she once called her best friend.

She pulled up the bright blanket, covering part of her face, attempting to block that encounter from her memory. She tried to distract herself by wondering how she ended up in that room. Despite having spent part of the day fighting those strange creatures, she didn't feel tired at all.

A creaking sound filled the atmosphere as someone opened the door.

"Ah," said Thelma. "You're finally awake."

Arisa gazed at the girl with the fluffy pony-tail. She noticed that she was holding a tray with a glass of drink on top of it.

Thelma placed the tray on the nightstand. "I was hoping to find you awake this time. You've been sleeping for almost two hours."

"Two hours?!" Arisa quickly had a sit on the bed. "I can't believe I fell asleep during a critical moment."

Arisa shook her head, still not believing that she slept while her friends risked their lives to protect the Lunarians.

"Don't worry." Thelma patted Arisa's shoulder. "When you were sent to sleep, everything was starting to calm down."

Arisa frowned. "Sent to sleep?"

"Yes." Thelma nodded. "When Mr. Liu treated your wounds, he told us that it was better to make you sleep to rest your mind and body. He noticed that you were going through a chain of negative emotions, so he used this incredible ability to make you sleep."

Arisa's eyes widened as she watched Thelma gesturing with her hands. It was as if she was trying to mimic Mr. Liu's gestures. She wondered what other curious abilities the healers had.

"He said resting both your mind and body would fully recover you," continued Thelma, "since spending the rest of the day with negative emotions would compromise you physically."

"I see," said Arisa, a small smile spreading across her face. "Healers are so skillful; I'm feeling a lot better."

Even though the scar that Zen had reopened in her heart was still healing, she didn't feel any tiredness or pain in her body. The only thing that she was feeling right now was hunger.

"I agree," said Thelma, nodding. "I'm starting to think that healers are the strongest warriors the worlds have. The things they can do to save lives and assist those in need is just amazing. If I were a Lunarian, I would definitely choose the career of a healer."

Arisa smiled. "They certainly are strong."

Talking about healers, Arisa remembered how insecure Nala felt in the team, telling her that she wished to be stronger because she was only a healer and a burden to the team. If the lovely Lunarian was still there with them, Arisa would remind her that she was a skillful and strong individual.

"I'm glad to see that you can still smile," said Thelma, passing the cup to her. "Kazuya told me everything. I still can't believe that someone who was once your friend attempted to take your life."

Arisa's heart raced at those words. As she didn't want to remember what happened in those woods, she distracted herself by examining the drink. Her lips curved up, recognizing the dense purple substance. It was the same drink Thelma had given her in the Forbidden Lands to recover from days without eating anything. She quickly had a sip.