Tale of Vanguard

Kaelen jolted awake, he can feel his body feeling heavy from the sleep that he just had. Blinking against the brightness of the room, he took in his surroundings: a stark white room with soft, sterile furnishings with himself in a comfortable bed. He then noticed Thane who was lounging next to him in a nearby bed, he was casually munching on chips while reading a book.

Thane looked up from his book as he noticed Kaelen's movement. With a casual grin, he greeted him.

"Yo."

Kaelen, who was still groggy and disoriented, glanced around the room.

"Where are we?"

"In the grand Arena's infirmary, You've been out for a bit."

Kaelen turned his gaze to the window, noticing the dark sky streaming through.

"How long was i asleep?"

Thane shrugged at him while popping another chip into his mouth.

"About five hours, i think. I don't know.. i've just woken up myself"

He offered the bag of chips to Kaelen with a friendly nod.

"Want some?"

Kaelen politely refuses him.

"No, thanks."

Just then, the infirmary door swung open, and Serephira walked in. She showed a relief expression on her face as her eyes settled on Kaelen.

Kaelen looked up at her with a concerned look as he asked:

"What happened to the intruders? How is the tournament? And is the capital safe?"

Serephira held up her hand and gives Kaelen a reassuring gesture to calm his barrage of question.

"Slow down, Kaelen. The intruders have already fled from the capital. They won't be a threat here anymore."

Kaelen let out a sigh of relief.

"And the tournament?"

"It's been postponed due to the incident, there was an announcement made by Headmaster Orion to the citizens in the arena and throughout the capital. He urged everyone to go home for now and stay safe."

She paused for a moment before continuing her words.

"The headmaster is currently in a meeting with the others to discuss the recent attack."

Kaelen nodded to her as he absorbs the information.

"I see..."

Serephira stood silently for a moment, until she finally approached Kaelen. She ask him with a soft but concern voice.

"How are you holding up?"

Kaelen glanced at her, offering a half-hearted smile.

"I'm fine, I guess."

Serephira's gaze lingered on him before she asked another question.

"Do you remember anything before you went unconscious?"

Kaelen furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, i remember... there was this colossal meteor heading straight for the capital. I had to cast my flames to destroy it. After that... i don't remember anything."

He paused for a second until he suddenly realized.

"Wait, the Madam... she was there too. How is she?"

Serephira gave him a reassuring smile.

"Madam Nyx is fine. She and I managed to hold off one of the intruders and prevent any further damage."

What Serephira didn't say gnawed at her conscience. She hid a truth—the fact that Kaelen had lost control again, rampaging with his dark flames, and Veridicus' ominous words about the "Dissonance" inside Kaelen's body. She can feel the guilt weighed heavily on her, but she thought that maybe now was not the time to reveal such things. There would be a proper time for that conversation, just not now.

Thane, who was still lounging on his bed, watches the exchange between the two, until he casually ask them:

"Say... what's the deal between you two?"

Hearing Thane's question, Kaelen froze as he was unsure of how to respond. His mind raced—could he reveal the truth? That he was Serephira's vanguard? He then glanced at Serephira. She stepped in and spoke up.

"Kaelen is my vanguard, and he's also a precious comrade of mine."

Thane raised an eyebrow, but there was no surprise in his expression. Instead, he gave a slow nod, acknowledging the weight of what she had said.

"Huh... i figured it was something like that."

Kaelen turned toward Thane and with a sincere voice, he apologized to him.

"I'm sorry for lying to you before. I should've told you the truth."

Thane waved it off with a lighthearted shrug.

"It's fine. I get it. You were lying for her sake, not your own. Can't blame a guy for protecting someone important, you know."

"Thanks.."

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary swung open again. A voice called out to the room.

"Excuse me... is this the lounge area?"

It was bastia who was standing in the doorway. She glanced around the room until her eyes landed on Serephira.

"Serephira! It's good to see you!"

Bastia exclaimed with her face lighting up as she walked towards her.

Seraphila smiled warmly.

 "It's good to see you too, Bastia."

Bastia's eyes shifted to Kaelen, who was on the bed beside Serephira, she then noticed another bed behind her, where Thane was still sitting up, casually leaning against the headboard.

"Oh, hi there."

She greeted Kaelen and Thane, she then fixed her sight to the latter.

"Sorry i only dropped you off at the entrance earlier. The headmaster was calling for me."

"Don't worry about it. I managed."

He glanced between Serephira and Bastia.

"Do you two know each other?"

Serephira nodded.

"We've known each other since we were kids. We often meet at the royal gatherings that were usually held here and Thaloria."

Bastia grinned.

"Yeah, a lot of fancy parties and banquets. It's been a while since the last one though."

Bastia's expression softened as she turned to Serephira.

"How's Seraphina doing? Is she alright?"

At the mention of her sister name, Serephira demeanor suddenly shifted. Her face become darkened and her once composed expression was now faltered, replaced by a troubled look. Kaelen, immediately sensing the changes around her, sat up a little straighter and asked.

"What? Did something happen to your sister?"

The air in the room grew thick with tension, as if everyone was holding their breath. Serephira let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples in frustration before shaking her head.

"No, nothing serious... I just—"

She paused for a second.

 "I've forgotten how terrible she is with directions. She's probably still wandering aimlessly around the capital right now."

Thane, who had been quiet, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You mean she's... lost?"

"Knowing her? Absolutely."