Chapter 16.Awake

The sound of a heart monitor beeped steadily in the background, quiet and unobtrusive, a soft reminder that life still pulsed through the boy lying on the recovery bed. A sterile white sheet covered him from the waist down, his upper body left bare to accommodate the layers of monitoring equipment attached to his skin. His chest rose and fell, slow and steady—until, with a sharp gasp, Ethan Valtaris's eyes flew open.

Sweat clung to his brow as he sat up too fast, breath ragged, golden eyes wide in panic, like someone escaping the clutches of a nightmare. He looked around, disoriented. A sterile room. Clean white walls. An IV stand. Silence.

Then a voice. Soft. Hesitant. Surprised.

"You're... awake?" Liora's voice wavered with relief.

Ethan's head jerked toward her. She stood near the door, holding a small bag of fruits. Her hair was tied up messily, a few loose strands framing her face. Her wide amber eyes shimmered with disbelief.

He blinked slowly. "Where... am I?"

Liora gave a small laugh, then moved closer, still clutching the bag. "Back at the Concord. You've been... well, down for a while."

Ethan tried to sit up straighter, muscles groaning in protest. "How long...?"

Liora hesitated. "A week."

Ethan furrowed his brow. A whole week? But he had no sense of time. No memory of drifting off. Only flickers of something else. Of fire. Of that being—Nanook. His chest tightened.

Then, stomach grumbling audibly, his eyes dropped to the fruit bag in her hands. "Is that for me?"

"Actually, it was for Keir... but—"

It was too late. Ethan had already snatched an apple from the bag, bit into it with a groan of pure satisfaction, and then reached for another.

"Hey!" Liora laughed, finally easing into her usual self. "Hungry much?"

"You've no idea."

"You could've at least asked."

He shot her a playful glance. "Would a near-death patient really need permission?"

Liora rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Fine. I guess I can share a few."

He leaned back into the pillows with a deep exhale. "Thanks. Really.That hit the spot."

She sat at the foot of the bed, eyes drifting briefly over his form. His physique was visibly more defined, leaner but stronger. She blinked and quickly looked away, color rising to her cheeks.

He looked down at his bare torso. "Wait. Why am I shirtless?"

"Were you expecting them to leave you in your blood-soaked gear?" she smirked.

"I mean, a little privacy wouldn't hurt."

"Oh please," she teased. "You've got nothing to be shy about."

Before he could retort, the door slid open. Zira walked in, followed closely by Raiden. Zira's expression softened instantly when she saw Ethan, and Raiden's face lit up with relief.

"You're awake!" Raiden said, striding forward. "About time, man."

Ethan chuckled weakly. "Good to see you too."

"I was starting to think I'd need a new roommate."

Zira approached, arms crossed. "Damn, you gave us a scare. Didn't think you'd pop back up so soon."

Liora nodded. "He woke up just a few minutes ago. Gorged himself on Keir's fruit."

"It was mine," Ethan mumbled around another bite.

The door opened again, this time admitting a tall man in a lab coat—the attending physician. His tablet buzzed as he scanned Ethan's vitals. Then he paused, puzzled.

"…This can't be right."

Raiden leaned in. "What?"

The doctor blinked again. "His regenerative rate is… off the charts. Bones that should still be mending are fully healed. Tissue, muscle, even deeper internal injuries—completely repaired."

Zira frowned. "That's not normal right?, right?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not even close. This is advanced recovery. Almost…like he he is an awakened with regeneration abilities."

Ethan looked away, remembering Nanook's voice in the dreamscape. He said his body was ready.

The doctor tapped his tablet. "I'll have to inform the Warden. She'll want to see this."

Minutes later, the door hissed open one final time. Warden Caelis stepped in, flanked by Sylha and Grall. Her icy gaze landed on Ethan with veiled concern.

Grall, however, grinned and stepped forward. "Looks like my lucky skycoin did wonders huh, kid."

Ethan smiled faintly. Only the two of them knew about that coin, a small charm Grall had slipped into his palm before they'd separated last.

Sylha looked him over and nodded. "Good to see your ok even tho it happened faster than expected. I'm impressed kid."

Caelis remained silent for a beat, then offered a curt nod. "Rest, Valtaris. We'll speak later."

Ethan caught the briefest flicker of curiosity in her eyes. Not concern. Not warmth. Curiosity.

The room filled with light chatter. Zira nudged Liora and whispered something that made her snort quietly. Raiden sat beside Ethan, tossing a fruit at him that he barely caught.

For now, there was peace. Questions still lingered, but no answers needed yet. Not while the team was together.

The room settled into a hush after everyone left, the door sealing with a soft hiss behind them. Ethan sat there, staring at the dim ceiling, the sterile silence gnawing at his nerves. He wasn't tired—if anything, he felt wired, charged with energy he didn't know what to do with.

"Rest? After all that?" he mumbled to himself, slipping off the bed.

His bare feet touched the cool tile as he stood and stretched. His muscles moved effortlessly—no pain, no stiffness. He flexed his arm slowly, inspecting the smoothness of motion. Not even a scar.

I was nearly crushed to death. How the hell...?

He wandered across the room to a metallic counter lined with medical supplies. Something gleamed in the corner of his eye—a polished tray. He paused, leaned in to check his reflection.

The face staring back at him was... still his, but not quite.

His features were subtly sharper. His skin, less pale. His jawline more defined. And then he saw it—threads of hair at his temples, silvery white, hidden beneath the curtain of black.

He narrowed his eyes and ran his fingers through them. The strands were real. Not light, not lint. Real.

"Huh…"

He blinked, and for the briefest moment, his hazel eyes shimmered gold. A pulse—there, then gone. Like a flickering ember under the surface.

A beat of silence passed before he sighed, standing straight again.

"…Guess this is what Nanook meant."

No panic. Just a strange, simmering awareness in the pit of his chest. His body was changing. And this was just the beginning.

He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced once more at the reflection.

"I better not wake up with horns next geez…"

He turned from the tray, shoulders rolling into a casual stretch.

Still shirtless. Still scarless.

Still not entirely human anymore.