Chapter 18: Memories

Flashes of light flickered in the woman's eyes as she lay on the stretcher, her ears only catching fragments of voices slicing through the air. 

"Take him to the CTM immediately, we have no time to lose!" 

"And what about her, sir?" asked the man.

"The woman's condition isn't as severe. Two days in mana-induced hibernation should do the trick." 

The next time she opened her eyes, a strong sensation of drowning overwhelmed her mind. A capsule opened in a room resembling a hospital. Before she could fully see, a deep voice spoke. 

COUGH COUGH 

Holding her throat, Akemi coughed up a blue liquid. 

"She's awake. Call the head nurse." 

Beside her, a blond man sat in a chair, staring at her. Meanwhile, another man in a black suit left the room. 

"Who are you?" she asked, instinctively pulling away from him. 

"Well, I won't demand manners from someone who just woke up from a coma. My name is Michael." 

"Michael? I've never heard of you. What are you doing here?" she asked rudely. 

"Hahaha, what do you think? My client was fine until two days ago. Suddenly, he shows up half-dead, and the only clue I have is you!" 

"Half-dead? What happened to Jihan? Is he okay?" Akemi's desperation was clear in her voice. 

"Calm down, princess, one question at a time." 

"From her tone, she doesn't seem to be the cause," Michael thought to himself. 

"He's alive, that's what I can tell you for sure. Now, I'd like you to explain what happened. Li will be unconscious for a while before he can talk." 

The Half-Elf's eyes wavered, a feeling of guilt washed over her. After a brief pause, she began to explain what had happened, from the moment she found him until she woke up. Of course, she omitted the conversation Jihan had with her father in the cave, along with other details that weren't worth mentioning. 

"If what you say is true, I can assure you that you are not to blame for this," Michael said, noting the emotional weight in her words. "However, he's quite foolish to have reached such a state." 

"Is there anything I can do to help?" 

"Not at all. Mr. Li risked his life to save you. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to suffer because of it." 

Looking at her wrist, Akemi noticed an absurd number of points, about five thousand. Recalling some lessons her father gave her before they entered the test, she quickly said: 

"I want to transfer my points to him." Said her. 

Michael was surprised by her decision. 

"Are you sure? If you're making this decision, you must know what these points mean. You know how important they are, right?" 

"I know, that's why I'm doing this. I was protected, carried, and nearly killed us both... I don't deserve even a fraction of them. I'm more than fine just keeping my life." 

Seeing no other option, Michael accepted the transfer on Jihan's behalf. Later, he would pass the points to the boy. To pay for something, you would need to agree, but to receive, there were no rules, just proximity. 

"Alright, do you want me to relay any message for when he wakes up?" 

"No, instead, I'll have to ask you not to say anything to him." 

"Why? I think it's always good to have a friend in a place like this, and now that you're alone, how do you plan to continue?" 

"I'll manage that part," Akemi asserted, resolutely. "I can't keep relying on others. If I'm going to pass this test, I need to survive on my own. Besides, from what little I know of him, I'm sure he'll refuse and try to help me if he finds out what I did." 

"Do as you wish..." Michael sighed, getting up and heading to the door. "I still think it's a bad idea. Depending on others is a good thing; not everyone has the chance to have someone like that." As he opened the door, he added, "Despite that, you have an admirable heart. If you need help improving, feel free to talk to me. I'll be bored these next few weeks." 

Alone in the room, with her hair covering her face, silent tears began to roll down her cheeks. Unable to control the volume, she started crying alone. 

Outside the room, still by the door, Michael lit a cigarette and whispered a few words to the wind. 

As she recovered, Akemi began training daily. First, she exercised, then went to the library to rest while reading, and finally trained against the dummies. At the end of the night, she always had trouble sleeping, so she returned to the library to read until she got sleepy. Among all these activities, she always found time in the day to visit the unconscious Jihan, sometimes even keeping him company for over an hour. 

One day, while arguing with some idiots, Akemi was surprised by a voice from the third floor calling her. She was happy, happy he had woken up, happy to see him well, but she held back because she knew this was the hardest moment—the first contact after the decision she had made. She had to be strong. 

"Is everything okay?" he asked. 

"I'm great!" she replied, walking past him. 

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" 

"I'm fine! And late for training," she shouted, not looking Jihan in the eyes. 

"Can't you show me around first? I just woke up, you know..." 

"I'm not your guide. Figure it out yourself!" Cutting him off, she left the square. 

"Why does he always have to get involved in everything? I was handling the situation well," she thought, motivating herself as she headed to the gym, leaving him behind. 

In the early morning of the same day, while studying the monsters from some missions she checked on the board, Akemi saw Li walking through the library. 

"I didn't think he was the type to think much before doing things," she thought. 

The next morning, a woman approached her to ask about Jihan's fighting style. At first, she found it strange. However, after understanding the woman was from the organization and the purpose of the question, she revealed details of what she knew. The only thing Akemi asked was to keep her identity anonymous. 

In the late afternoon, she saw him again in the library. As she walked down a corridor, she heard Jihan's voice from the other side of the shelf. Curiosity got the better of her, so the Half-Elf stopped to listen. At first, the young man was talking to a woman whose voice was already familiar, Liming. 

"I think I went too far. Honestly, I didn't think you'd be so hurt..." 

"And what do you know about me?" he interrupted her. "We've known each other for barely two days." 

"You're right. I don't know anything about you, that's why I'd like to apologize and offer a reconciliation gift." 

"A reconciliation gift? And what would that be?" 

Akemi couldn't see the other side, so she didn't know what the gift was, but from Liming's explanation afterward, she managed to get an idea. After the woman left, the next to appear was the librarian. Jihan and Hakim had a brief conversation, and with the younger man leaving, she thought it would be a good idea to continue her studies, but she was discovered. 

"Now that he's gone, you can come out." 

Turning the corner where she was, Akemi peeked her head out to see the old man, as if she was ashamed of being caught. 

"Young lady, if you're worried about him, you should say something," the old man shot. 

"I'm not worried. I know he can handle himself… apparently even better than I can." 

"Mr. Hakim is really impressive. He knows everything just by looking." She thought to herself. 

"You underestimate yourself and overestimate the other... you are nowhere near as weak as you think, and he is nowhere near as strong as you think..." 

"Do you really believe that...?" Akemi asked, looking down. 

"I do, but how true that is, only you and he can answer," Hakim said. "Just be careful not to lose yourself on your own path... A closed heart is a safe harbor... but that's not what hearts are made for, is it?" 

The old man's wise words were comforting to hear. 

"I won't forget this, sir. Thank you!" 

Bowing, Akemi thanked him and left. Later that day, she met with a blond man. 

"I heard you were looking for me," Michael said. 

"What you said about helping me improve, do you really think I can?" 

"You have talent. The only thing you need is determination. If I can't make you stronger, then I'll be the one to blame," the man declared. 

"Then I'll ask for your help," she requested, bowing. "I want to get stronger." 

Taking off his suit and cracking his knuckles, he said: 

"Took less time than I thought. Let's get started then!"