Veilhot !?

The whispers of the crowd intensified as the ambulance drove away, taking Ryan to the hospital. Everyone was lost in their thoughts, trying to make sense of what they had just witnessed. Theories abounded: how had a mere F-rank survived an X2 Yellow-class portal? Was the aura he emitted truly that of an S-rank? And if so, how was that possible?

Jenna, the seasoned Protector, remained on the spot, her gaze fixed on where the portal had vanished. She felt troubled, an unsettling mix of worry and intense curiosity stirring within her. She had never seen such a phenomenon before. The aura emanating from Ryan was overwhelmingly powerful, far beyond what an ordinary S-rank could produce. It made no sense.

Journalists continued filming and snapping photos, eager to capture every detail of this extraordinary event. Some attempted to interview the Protectors on-site, but most were just as perplexed as the crowd. One of them, a young reporter, turned to Jenna with a microphone extended.

"Protector Jenna, can you tell us what you think about this incident? How do you explain a young F-rank man surviving a Yellow-class portal and emitting such an aura?"

Jenna, still troubled, responded in a grave tone. "I can't explain what we saw today. All I can say is that we need to wait for the doctors to complete their diagnosis. This young man has experienced something extraordinary, and we need to understand what happened."

Meanwhile, Rayna sat in the back of the ambulance, holding Ryan's hand tightly. Her gaze never left his face, searching for any sign of consciousness, any movement that might give her hope that her brother was okay. But Ryan remained unconscious, his face marked by an odd serenity.

The doctors continued checking his vital signs, noting every detail meticulously. One of them, a gray-haired man, turned to Rayna with a look of confusion.

"He has no visible injuries, but his body shows signs of immense fatigue. He must have used an incredible amount of energy to get out of that portal. We need to keep a close eye on him. We'll run thorough tests as soon as we arrive at the hospital."

Rayna nodded, her grip on Ryan's hand tightening even more. She refused to leave him alone, no matter what happened.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Ryan was immediately taken care of by a medical team. Rayna followed closely, her heart pounding. The doctors placed him in a special room, where they began hooking him up to various machines to monitor his condition. Rayna stayed by his side, watching over him with unwavering vigilance.

Outside, news of the incident had already spread. The media reported the story with sensational headlines, speculating on what had truly happened. Some called it a miracle, others an unexplained mystery. But for Rayna, all that mattered was that her brother was alive. She was determined to uncover the truth, to understand what had happened to him, and to protect him, no matter what it took.

Two Days Later

Two days had passed since the incident. Ryan slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times to adjust his vision to the dim light of the hospital room. His gaze immediately settled on the television mounted on the wall. The news was broadcasting images of the vanished portal and the commotion that had followed. Journalists were still speculating about what had truly happened.

But Ryan quickly looked away from the screen. That kind of news didn't interest him much, at least not at that moment. His mind was still foggy, and a strange feeling washed over him: the surprise of being alive. He remembered the confrontation in the portal, the intense pain he had felt, and yet, here he was, conscious.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle pressure on his hand. Intrigued, he turned his head and saw Rayna, asleep in a chair beside his bed, holding his hand tightly in hers. Her face showed signs of fatigue, and her eyes were red from lack of sleep.

A wave of guilt swept over Ryan as he saw his sister in this state. He remembered the last words he had spoken in the portal, his promise to survive for her. Now, seeing her like this, broken by worry, deeply moved him. He had never wanted to cause her so much pain.

Ryan lowered his eyes to his own body. To his great surprise, he found no signs of injuries, no evidence of the battles he had fought. His clothes were clean, his body seemed in perfect health. He wondered how that was possible. Had an A-rank healer taken care of him? It seemed logical, but he wasn't sure.

He tried to piece together his memories, searching for clues about how he had been saved. Maybe the portal he had entered wasn't an X2, but an X? He shook his head slightly, puzzled. He remembered desperately searching for the exit without success. Maybe he just had a poor sense of direction, he thought with a touch of self-deprecation.

As he pondered, Rayna stirred slightly. She slowly opened her eyes, her pupils immediately fixing on him. When she realized he was awake, her expression changed instantly. "Ryan!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion.

She quickly got up, leaned over him, and embraced him tightly. Tears began streaming down her face as she cried with relief. "You're finally awake... I thought I'd lost you..."

Ryan, taken aback by this display of emotion, felt his heart tighten. He hesitantly raised a hand and gently placed it on his sister's back, comforting her as best as he could. "I'm sorry, Rayna... I'm here, everything's fine now," he murmured softly.

Rayna clung to him, crying unabashedly. She had held back her emotions for so long, so much fear and pain accumulated. Now, it all came out at once, and she couldn't contain it anymore. For Ryan, it was a moment of realization. He had survived, but he wasn't the only one who had suffered. His sister had endured the waiting, the uncertainty, and he knew he had to do everything in his power to never make her suffer like that again.

As Ryan and Rayna shared this emotional moment, a soft noise sounded behind them. They turned their heads to find Veilhot standing in the doorway, an awkward expression on his face.

"Oh... sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Veilhot said, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

Rayna quickly wiped her tears, straightening up a bit. "Veilhot, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I just wanted to see how our hero of the day was doing," he replied, pointing at Ryan. "I must say, you impressed us all, even if you came out of that portal in... let's say, memorable condition."

Ryan gave a tired smile. "Thanks, I guess... Even though I don't feel like I did anything extraordinary."

Veilhot approached, pulling up a chair to sit beside the bed. "Don't say that! You survived a Yellow-class portal, that's huge. Especially for a so-called F-rank."

Rayna raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "So-called?"

Veilhot shrugged. "Come on, Rayna, you saw it yourself. The aura that came out of that portal, it was S-level at least. Either your brother's hiding something, or he got a cosmic boost."

Ryan shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what happened. All I know is I'm glad to be alive."

Veilhot smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, you should be happy. And you should also be ready to answer a ton of questions. The Protectors are on it, and they're going to want details."

Rayna sighed. "Let him rest a bit. He just woke up."

Veilhot nodded with a knowing look. "You're right. But before that, I have one last thing to say." He leaned toward Ryan, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "If you become famous, don't forget about the little guys like me, okay?"

Ryan burst out laughing, followed by Rayna. "I promise I'll never forget you, Veilhot."

Veilhot straightened up with a satisfied smile. "That's all I wanted to hear."

The trio continued chatting, the tension gradually fading away, replaced by laughter. Ryan felt a little lighter, surrounded by people who cared about him.

Meanwhile, in the silent hospital corridors, three Protectors walked side by side, their footsteps softly echoing on the tiled floor. They wore their distinctive uniforms, their badges faintly gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Their stride was calm but determined, reflecting the gravity of their mission.

The first, a man with an imposing build and short hair, spoke first. "So, it's really him? The kid who survived the X2 portal?"

The second, a tall woman with black hair pulled back, nodded gently. "Yes, it's him. Ryan. The doctors say he has no visible injuries, which is... strange."

The third Protector, a younger man with a serious expression, frowned. "It's beyond strange. An F-rank shouldn't even survive a Yellow-class portal, let alone an X2. There's more to this."

They continued walking, casting attentive glances at the rooms they passed. The first Protector paused momentarily to check a tablet he was holding. "Reports indicate a massive aura was detected when he emerged from the portal. It was high-level magic, possibly even S-rank."

The woman shook her head, visibly perplexed. "How is that possible? He's never shown such abilities before. And the aura disappeared the moment he fell unconscious. It's as if something manifested just for that precise moment."

The young Protector added, his tone grave. "We need to keep a close watch on him. If he's hiding something, or if an external force helped him, we need to know."

They stopped in front of Ryan's room. Through the small window, they could see Ryan, Rayna, and Veilhot talking and laughing, the light atmosphere contrasting with the seriousness of their conversation.

The imposing Protector took a deep breath. "For now, let's let him rest. But as soon as he's ready, we need to question him."

The woman nodded. "Agreed. But let's do it with tact. That boy has been through hell."

They exchanged one last glance before turning around, continuing their silent walk through the hospital corridors. Questions swirled in their minds, questions they hoped to find answers to soon.