Jessica glided gracefully to Wade's side, her visage flushed with the calamities that had unfolded. It was an astonishing revelation to her that despite her prowess as a human beast, she couldn't rescue either Wade or Richard. The chronicles of the events played before her like a mesmerizing tableau. She was rendered powerless, a mere spectator to the destruction of her beloved ones. Innocent souls, she thought, though they were dear to her.
She blinked fervently, yearning for it to be a mere phantasm, a nightmarish reverie. She longed to rouse herself to the realm of reality and embark on another hunt with Wade. The unvarnished verity weighed heavily upon her, but verity was often relentless. She opened her eyes once more, still desiring it to be a dream. Yet, it was no dream.
With a trembling hand, she raised her finger, pointing at Jack. Her digit ascended slowly, and Jack ascended with it, his lifeless form hovering above Wade. To ensure his demise, she raised her other hand, crafting a gesture akin to separation, and plucked Jack's heart from his body. She maneuvered her hand slightly, causing Jack to tumble beside Wade, his diminutive crimson heart rolling toward his outstretched hand, in proximity to his neck.
She comprehended that, no matter her actions, Wade could not be saved. She allowed both her hands to descend onto her thighs. Once again, she extended her hand, this time toward Zadar, Ron, and Raavi. She extricated Zadar from the treacherous quicksand, rekindled Ron's consciousness, and bolstered Raavi to regain her footing on her legs, facilitating their teleportation to a safer haven.
Frantically, she scanned the surroundings for Daisy. Yet, Daisy was conspicuously absent. She shut her eyes anew, attempting to locate her within her consciousness, but Daisy remained elusive. "She must have fled," Jessica surmised. She turned her gaze back to Wade, her eyes filled with remorse surpassing even her tears. Gingerly, she removed the shattered sword's blade from Wade's chest and rested her forehead upon his abdomen, suppressing her urge to weep aloud.
Memories flooded her mind of how Wade had saved her from the clutches of that human beast. The beast had ensnared her neck, poised to snuff out her life. "He vanquished the human beast with a single, decisive stroke," she recollected. "That day, I had discerned his true might. I had never imagined encountering anyone more formidable than him, someone capable of dispatching a fully grown human beast with a lone swipe of his sword. And then, We encountered Jack." Her mind wandered to the moment Richard had sacrificed himself to shield her.
"I was prepared to use my power to end him," she ruminated, "and yet, he allowed himself to be impaled in my stead. He knew I was a Human Beast, and Jack's blade possessed the potential to slay me. He could have allowed me to die, for Wade would have needed him more than me. But he thought otherwise. I hadn't even displayed sufficient valor to warrant such a sacrifice, and yet, two people died in the endeavor to save my life"
She spoke these sentiments aloud, unaware that her thoughts had found voice. To her astonishment, she heard the most mellifluous sound, one she had yearned to hear.
"Really?" The voice belonged to Wade, observing her lament upon his stomach.
Startled, she raised her head, as if confronted by a wondrous dream come to life. She gazed upon Wade, emotions of contrition and jubilation warring within her.
"How... How are you still alive?" Her words flowed hesitantly, for she had witnessed his demise with her own eyes. She doubted whether Jack could still be alive, but she knew Jack was not, for she had extracted his heart. Her gaze remained fixed upon Wade, who, despite the pain gnawing at his chest, wore a smile.
"I am alive. And I'd really appreciate you if you'd get off my stomach" he spoke in a jesting manner.
Perplexed and overwhelmed, she stuttered, "How? Why? What?" Her tongue seemed to resist the dictates of her mind.
"I'm kidding," Wade responded, prompting curious gazes from their companions. "I was born with a rare medical condition where my heart is on the right side of my chest, not the left."
"Thank the heavens," Rom interjected. "We were dying to see you not die! Get it? 'Cause like none of us died but Wade?" The others regarded Ron with a blend of awkwardness and agreement, but Wade didn't want to ruin his enthusiasm
"That was a good one, Ron," Wade remarked.
Ron took solace in the acknowledgment of his humor, even if he hadn't truly been funny. He surveyed the expressions of their companions, noting nods and thumbs-ups.
"May I get up now?" Wade inquired, his tone both authoritative and lighthearted. Zadar and Ron promptly assisted Wade to his feet, while Jessica utilized a length of blue fabric from her dress to bind Raavi's injured arm.
Their initial plan had been to convey Wade to their base, but Raavi offered a more logical proposition. "Wait," Wade requested, "before you teleport us...."
Extricating himself from Zadar and Ron, Wade approached the lifeless body of Richard, his legs quivering. After a brief struggle, he knelt beside Richard, gazing into the lifeless visage. He retrieved Richard's staff and studied it, his eyes filled with memories of their shared experiences.
"We don't have time for this," Zadar whispered to Raavi. "He's wounded, and so are we. Teleport us immediately."
"Understood," Raavi replied with a subtle nod.
With her one functional hand, she orchestrated their teleportation to their base.
*****
Wade awoke in his own bed, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. He pondered the surreal events that had transpired. Was it all a dream? he wondered.
He gingerly sat up, his legs dangling over the edge of the bed. He scrutinized his chest. Nothing amiss. Tugging at his T-shirt collar, he examined his skin, noting a bandage encircling his chest and extending around his back. Something else caught his eye, an enigmatic mark etched into his stomach. It was not a mere blemish but a permanent tattoo that melded seamlessly with his skin. His skin shivered sporadically, exacerbated by the cool breeze from the air conditioning. He reached for the remote control and switched it off. When he glanced back at his stomach, the mark had vanished. He took off his T-shirt to get a clear look.
He touched his abs once more, finding it unmarked. As if it had never been there. He withdrew his hand, perplexed. The door creaked open, revealing Jessica holding a tray, engaged in conversation with someone outside the room.
"Yeah, yeah, I understand," she said, but her words ceased as she noticed Wade sitting upright. "Oh, you're awake," she exclaimed, her gaze shifting from his bandage to his face.
Setting the tray on the bedsidetable, she explained, "You've been unconscious since you closed your eyes near Richard."
"You know, Jessica," Wade began, his voice contemplative, "I was thinking about what happened out there. The way Richard sacrificed himself to save you and me... It weighed heavily on my mind."
Jessica paused for a moment, her hands still on the lap, and looked into Wade's eyes. "I know what you mean," she replied softly. "It was a selfless act, one that I can't forget."
Wade nodded, his gaze distant. "I owed Richard a debt I could never repay. He believed in us, in our potential to make a difference. And I didn't want his sacrifice to be in vain."
Jessica smiled warmly at Wade. "I think he would have been proud of the victory"
"I see," Wade replied. "You never mentioned that you were a human beast." He recalled that night, when that human beast grabbed his neck and told him to stop other beast hunters from hunting beasts but he didn't stop. He also saw a girl run away. She must be Jessica. Because I'm pretty sure she was a human beast too. Ohh!!! That's why the beast also wanted to kill Jessica when I went in the woods to kill him.
"You never mentioned that you had a Cru....er... heart is on the right side," she said, her voice hesitant.
"I don't have a heart on the right side," Wade stated.
"What? You told me you did! Why did you lie?"
"Because You guys were injured too, and couldn't bring me to the hospital. You would've died trying to find a hospital near that organization. 'Cause there are none. I would've preferred to die alone in peace, instead of dying along with four more people who were trying to save me."
"But how did you survive then?"
Wade opened his mouth to explain the event. About that hand - but Before Wade could respond, the door creaked open again. It was Ron.
"Hey, guys!" Ron greeted. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Jessica began, "I was just changing Wade's-"
"Diaper?" Ron interjected, his tone jesting.
With a slight chuckle, Jessica continued, "bandage. It's been two days with this one."
"Two days?" Wade inquired, perplexed. "How long have I been unconscious?"
"About a week," Ron replied. "We thought you were dead, but you were still breathing. And when I came to change your clothes, stained with dirt and blood, I noticed a strange mark kept appearing on your stomach. What was that?"
"A.......what?" Jessica queried.
"Yeah, I don't know either," Wade concurred. "I didn't see any mark on my stomach."
"Alright," Ron said, delivering a thumbs-up. "Enjoy your sick day!" He exited the room.
"He's been making increasingly bizarre and unfunny jokes since you complimented him," Jessica remarked.
"But seriously, laughter is the best medicine," Wade opined. "Though if you laugh for no reason, you might need medicine."
"Indeed. I brought you some medicines," she said, jesting. "And you should avoid spending too much time with Ron to shield yourself from 'broken humor syndrome.'"
"Is that even a thing?"
The room was filled with a sense of lightness. The soft glow of daylight filtered through the curtains, casting gentle patterns on the walls.
Jessica couldn't help but smile at the banter. It was a reminder of the care and concern she and the others had shown for Wade during his recovery.
Wade's laughter, though still tinged with the remnants of pain from his recent ordeal, was a welcome sound in the room. It was a testament to their resilience and the bonds that had grown stronger through adversity.
With the humor lingering in the air, they continued their conversation, each moment of levity serving as a balm for the wounds of the past and a beacon of hope for the challenges that lay ahead.
After two days, Wade had made a complete recovery, somehow. Jessica refrained from broaching the subject of Wade's crush for her, and Wade's bond with Ron, Zadar and Raavi grew stronger.
Since Wade's katana had been destroyed, he refrained from solo hunting, as he possessed only one Gabriel eye and could not absorb beasts without his absorbent sword. Nevertheless, Wade persisted in hunting beasts with Richard's staff.
Ron reentered Wade's room, his intent clear as he secured the door behind him. Taking a seat beside Wade, he extended his hand, placing it gently on Wade's shoulder. Wade, seated on the edge of his bed, reciprocated the gesture.
"tell me, Wade," Ron began in a soft, reassuring tone. "There's nothing to hide from a brother."
"What would you like to know?" Wade replied, hoping that Ron wouldn't inquire about the mysterious mark.
"I wanna know about the mark," Ron stated, his gaze locked onto Wade's eyes. "You don't need to hide it, and I won't tell anyone about it."
"Very well," Wade conceded, sighing under the weight of his revelation. "Why do you think I've been reluctant to talk about it?"
"I'm not sure," Ron replied. "Perhaps you thought it was an embarrassing tattoo?"
"No, it's not about embarrassment," Wade clarified. "I just didn't want to burden you all with it."
"Don't worry," Ron reassured him. "You know me. I'm easygoing and have no regrets."
"I wish I could be as carefree," Wade admitted, his tone slightly manipulative.
Ron quickly discerned Wade's attempt to divert the conversation. "Don't change the subject, Wade. Tell me about the mark."
"Alright," Wade began, trying to recall the events. "As far as I can remember, there was this hand... I was pushed... I saw someone... It felt like I was falling from a great height... When I opened my eyes, I saw Jessica resting her head on my stomach."
"Try to remember more....." Ron urged. "Connect the dots..... Was it a dream or something?"
"I'm not sure...." Wade replied, straining to recollect the events. "Perhaps we don't control the circumstances."