Misery in Hand

The rhythmic beeping of the machines in the room only served to drive Raishun's heart deeper into his stomach. Before him was Alisa, laying almost serenely in a sickbed. Her usually tied-up hair was splayed underneath her, like the roots of a tree. Yet there were so many machines hooked up to her that it was hard to distinguish where they ended, and she started.

"How did this happen..." Raishun murmured under his breath.

While he was talking to no one in particular, he was hoping the two teammates by his side would answer the question. Both Gil and Laura wore expressions similar to his. Gil, in particular, seemed to be suffering more than the other two.

[It makes sense.] Raishun thought to himself, [She was his partner after all.]

"She was attacked by someone." Laura's voice came out as a trembly whisper. Whether due to pride or professionalism, she was doing her best to suppress the emotions in her voice. "I found her above the stage laying a pool of her own blood. Whether the blood belonged to her or the attacker... I'm unsure."

Raishun was able to tear his eyes away from his teammate long enough to look at the bloody clothes in the corner of the room. It was the green outfit Alisa usually wore, only it was now more red than green. The very sight of it made him sick to his stomach with fury and disgust.

"I did catch a glimpse of the culprit." Laura continued, "They were wearing a black cloak and moved at speeds that rival you and Ruby."

At the mention of the cloaked figures, Raishun's blood ran cold. Everything in his surroundings seemed to fall away, leaving only the loud hammering of his heart in his ears. He turned to face his leader in an almost robotic fashion.

"T-that person. Whoever did this to Alisa. Were they tall?" He asked in a hollow voice.

"That would depend on what we're counting as tall." She replied matter of factly, eyes glued to the machines attached to Alisa. "I'd wager they were around your height, perhaps an inch or two taller if we're being generous."

[I've been such an idiot!] He clenched his teeth so hard he could hear them grinding in his skull. [I got so wrapped up in my new home, my new power, that I lost my way. Because of me, Alisa... She's hurting because of me!]

The door to the infirmary slid open behind them, and a familiar woman with chestnut-colored hair and a white lab coat walked in. Tablet in one hand and a pen in the other, Doctor Hazel began to inspect the various machines. So focused was she that it was as if the other three weren't even present. Humming in thought, she noted down some information on her tablet before turning to face the trio of huntsmen.

"You did the right thing calling me Laura." She said in her deep mature voice, "Alisa will pull through alright. I conducted a full-body examination and found no internal or external injuries. However, her aura was completely drained. Even the reserves most Huntsmen subconsciously possess were used to protect her. Because of that, I estimate it'll be around a week before she regains consciousness."

Relief washed over the group like a drug. Gil and Laura exchanged smiles, but Raishun's eyes locked onto the Doctor's. She was staring at him with curiosity, almost like when they had first met, only without a hint of perversion. Secretly he was grateful; this wasn't the time for fun and games.

"I took the liberty of doing a full analysis of your aura Raishun. I feel close to a breakthrough regarding the secret to your rapid aura regeneration rate. If you have time, I'd like to conduct more research on your unique circumstances. I feel the results may be of some use helping your friend recover."

"I'll do anything!" He blurted, "Poke and prod me all you want. As long as it helps Alisa get on her feet faster, there's nothing I won't do!"

"I understand." Doctor Hazel stepped past the group with a polite bow, "I'll begin preparations immediately. I'll notify you when I'm ready."

Neither of the trio looked back, but they heard the door open and slide shut with a hiss. Left all alone, the three of them could only stare at their teammate in remorse and disbelief. They likely would've stayed that way if Gil hadn't decided to speak up."

"I want both of you to listen to me carefully." He said in a tone that commanded Raishun and Laura's attention. "Alisa is going to be alright, the Doctor said so herself. There wasn't anything we could've done to prevent her attack, and we don't know who attacked her."

He stopped to suck in a breath, no doubt to steady himself. Raishun could see him holding back tears.

"Alisa wouldn't want to see us moping about because of something we couldn't control. Giving in to those types of emotions out in the field will get us killed too." He turned towards his cousin, eyes burning with determination. "Laura, you and I will help prepare for the Vytal Festival like we planned. We made a promise to the headmaster, and I intend to keep it."

When Laura nodded, he turned his gaze on Raishun.

"You already have plans with Carmila, right? Go enjoy yourself like you planned, and if you have time, you can help the two of us when you're done-"

"Hold on, it's not cool for me to go enjoy myself while the two of you are-"

"It's okay, Raishun. Neither Laura nor I think you going on that date with Carmila makes you irresponsible." Gil replied while nudging Laura's elbow with his own.

The white-haired beauty turned her attention to Raishun. For the first time, she looked at him with something akin to camaraderie.

"You've grown into a reliable person Raishun. You saved me in the Forever Fall, you caught up with us in terms of school work, and you worked hard to achieve it all. You're a valuable part of this team... that's something that won't change. Enjoying time with the person you love certainly won't reflect negatively on you either."

She half-laughed at the last part, but her heart was entirely in it. Raishun could only smile sadly in response as Gil continued to speak. His voice dropped its somber tone, adopting one of fury in its stead.

"Right now, all we can do is fulfill our plans from before the attack. We're pretty much useless. But if Alisa fought her attacker, then odds are she got a good look at them. When she wakes up, we'll find whoever did this to her." Throwing his hand to the side, he pointed his thumb at the floor below with a scowl. "And we'll put them in the ground."