Recovery and Revelation

Chapter: 5

An hour later

I groaned as I woke up, my body aching all over. Blinking a few times, I sat up and looked around the room. The room was dimly lit. The bed I was lying on was large and comfortable, covered in crisp white sheets and a cozy gray comforter. The room had a sleek, modern design. A glass desk with a laptop and a few books was positioned against one wall, accompanied by a sleek chair. To my right, a large window was partially covered by sheer curtains, allowing a soft glow of night light to filter through. There was a small sitting area with a plush sofa and a coffee table, upon which sat a vase with fresh flowers.

"You're awake," a familiar voice said, drawing my attention.

I turned my head to see the woman with teal hair sitting on a couch with my school ID in her hand.

"Who are you? How did I get here? What happened?" I croaked, my throat dry.

She got up, picked up a glass of water, walked over to me, and handed it to me. "Drink."

I took the glass and sipped slowly, the cool water soothing my parched throat. "Thank you," I said, my voice a bit stronger.

The woman sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at me. "Well, first of all, my name is Yuuri Ashina. As for how you got here, I found you in the park passed out, and as for where here is, this is my apartment."

"Thank you, but I think I should go home."

Yuuri raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "You're in no condition to go anywhere just yet."

She wasn't wrong. My body felt like it was put through a meat grinder, but I groaned and pushed the pain aside, attempting to get up off the bed. As I swung my legs over the side and tried to stand, my legs buckled beneath me, and I fell back onto the bed with a grunt.

"See?" Yuuri said, crossing her arms. "You're too weak to move right now. Rest."

"As much as I appreciate your concern, I have to go home."

Yuuri sighed and shook her head. "Stubborn, aren't you?"

"I can't just stay here. My parents will be worried sick."

Yuuri sighed before she got up, walked over to me, and helped me up. "Okay, here we go."

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm helping you up and taking you home."

I reluctantly accepted her help, wincing as I put weight on my legs. With her support, I managed to stand and take a few shaky steps.

"Thank you," I said, trying to maintain my balance.

Yuuri smiled. "Just take it slow. We don't want you collapsing again."

We made our way out of her apartment and into the hallway. The building was quiet, the only sound being the soft hum of the elevator as we descended to the ground floor. Once outside, the cool night air was refreshing, and I took a deep breath, feeling slightly better. Yuuri led me to a car, a Honda Civic. She opened the passenger door and helped me inside before walking around to the driver's side and getting in.

"Buckle up," she said.

I managed to fasten the seatbelt, my body still aching from the fight. As we drove through the quiet streets, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Yuuri. She had saved me, and now she was helping me get home.

"Thank you, Yuuri. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't found me," I said, breaking the silence.

"It's no problem. You're lucky I was nearby," she replied, her tone casual but with an underlying seriousness.

"How did you find me anyway?"

"I sensed a potent surge of mana. It was hard to miss," she explained. "I was actually on my way home when I felt it."

I nodded, absorbing the information. "So you can use mana then?"

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"I see."

We arrived at my house, and Yuuri helped me to the front door. I fumbled with my keys, eventually managing to unlock it. My parents were out, likely at work, which was a relief. I didn't want them to see me in this condition.

"Do you want me to help you inside?" Yuuri asked.

I shook my head. "No, I can manage from here. Thank you, Yuuri. I owe you one."

"Yeah, yeah, just try to keep yourself out of trouble."

"Right," I said, entering the house.

Yuuri watched me enter the house before she turned and muttered to herself, "What exactly is he? I can't get a grasp on it."

Chapter 5: End