Eric

"Eric. Eric! Where is he?!" Rowan looked around the waiting area with wide eyes that were full of panic. His sudden outburst startled the nurses and other people that were present in the room.

"Calm down, calm down. Tell us what's wrong?" One of the nurses that recovered first immediately rushed over to calm Rowan down.

"My brother. He was just wheeled in." Rowan turned to her and looked straight into her eyes.

The nurse got a shock when she heard Rowan's words. "You mean you are Eric Heart's brother?" She asked hesitantly.

Eric was a bit of a famous person amongst the lower ranking people in the organization. Even the Viscounts and Earls had heard his name here and there. It was no surprise, as Eric was currently the most powerful Baron that the organization possessed. He could do battle with powerful Viscount xenogenics and come out on top without breaking a sweat.

"Yes, I'm his brother. My name is Rowan Heart, and I was just recruited a couple of days ago." Rowan said.

"Oh, I see. Well then, come with me." The nurse nodded as she regained her cool. She led Rowan down a white hall that lightly smelled of disinfectants and drugs. Before long, they arrived in another waiting area.

"Please wait here and listen to me. Your brother was injured pretty badly in a mission, and is now undergoing treatment. You need to calm down and be patient, I will go and ask around a bit for his teammates so that you can talk with them." The nurse patted down Rowan's shoulders before turning around and heading in a different direction than where they had come from.

Rowan took a deep breath as he tried to calm down, but the image of his brother's bloodied body being wheeled through the halls on a stretcher kept on coming back to him like a haunting nightmare.

"Urgh!" Rowan groaned and shook his head hard. He wanted to get rid of that image and have a clear mind once again, but he was finding it nearly impossible. He waited for a couple of minutes before hearing the approach of a pair of footsteps.

"Here he is." The voice of the nurse from earlier reached his ears and Rowan raised his head. He watched as the nurse guided a blonde Drubad his way, before giving him an assuring smile and walking away. The blond man walked over to him and when he stood before Rowan, he finally spoke.

"So, you're Rowan." He spoke.

"How is my brother? What happened to him?" Rowan entirely disregarded the man's question and asked one of his own. His mind would not rest until he knew how Eric was faring.

The man sighed before waving for Rowan to follow, which Rowan immediately did. He led them along the way that he had come from.

"Your brother is a strong man. One of the strongest I've ever seen, and that's putting it lightly. At first, I always pinned his strength on him being a Heart. Roland Heart certainly left his mark. But over the time I have spent with him, I have come to learn that it is not the Heart name that makes Eric strong, but his own heart." The blond haired man suddenly began to ramble without even introducing himself. Rowan did not mind it as long as this whole ramble would end with him finding out what happened to Eric.

"Our team of five Barons was given a mission to retrieve a special fruit. This fruit is a treasure that can help enhance a person's talents and help with leveling advancing. Things were not as we initially thought, though. A lot of strong xenogenics had their eyes on this treasure, and so, a big fight broke out. Eric saved our lives, but also got injured while saving us. That is why he is in the state he is in." The man explained.

"What state is he in?" Rowan immediately asked.

"Eric is currently undergoing surgery in order to preserve his life. The organization is going all out in order to save him. There is a very good chance he will be back on his feet in a couple of months." The man smiled.

"Ah, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I was just moved by your genuine worry for him. I had not expected for him to have family here. My name is Marcel." The blond haired man introduced himself.

"It's fine." Rowan shook his head. "How long do you think the surgery will take?" He asked.

"I'm not too sure, but I believe it will take five to six hours. It would be best if you returned to your room to rest. You should have practice sessions tomorrow, if I am correct." Marcel advised.

"Don't worry, I will wait until they are done." Rowan shook his head. He noted that they had stopped in what seemed to be a medical ward. There were a few unconscious people laying on some beds. Marcel gave them a once over before turning around.

"Alright, then. Let me escort you back to the waiting area. I will tell the nurses to let you know when Eric is out of surgery." He agreed and led Rowan back to the waiting area. After that, he bid Rowan farewell before leaving in the direction of the ward where they had just come from.

Rowan laid down across one of the waiting seats. He was suddenly feeing a lot more tired than he had been five minutes ago.

"I guess I'll wait for a nurse to wake me up." He thought to himself as he laid down. Sleep came soon, and Rowan was thrust into a dark, restless, and dreamless sleep.