A New Resolve

As Erik opened his eyes, he saw a white ceiling again.

"Why are all our meetings like these?" a voice from the side said.

Erik turned to look who it was, and once he did, he saw Benjamin.

"Uncle Ben..." Erik was slightly confused. Waking up and being somewhere entirely different from where you last were was not easy to process.

"It looks like you got beaten up, eh?" Benjamin said.

The young man turned to look at his surroundings and immediately understood he was inside the infirmary.

"So it seems..." Erik said. "Did you see the match?" he asked.

"I did, but you didn't see me," Benjamin replied.

Erik didn't reply, but clearly, Benjamin understood the young man's mood.

"There is no shame in losing Erik. Sometimes it is just what we need to progress further," Benjamin said.

"So... I lost..."

"You did. You did well, though..."

"It was pathetic. I couldn't do anything. He was simply too strong," Erik said.