The second time

In a room filled with a sterile white hue and the familiar scent of medicine, four figures stood silently, listening to a man in a white coat speak.

"The patient didn't suffer any serious injuries, sir. He's just extremely drained and slightly malnourished, which is why he's so weak right now."

The group visibly relaxed at the doctor's words.

"Is there anything else we should be concerned about, like his diet or something?" Zane asked, worried about Sean's condition.

"Nothing major, sir. Just make sure he eats healthy, nutritious meals. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave."

Zane, still a bit lost in thought, sat down with Xion and Kael on the chairs beside Sean's bed. Ryn sat farther away on a couch, casually scrolling through his phone.

"When do you think the Captain will wake up?" Kael broke the silence with a hesitant question.

"I forgot to ask… It's still uncertain," Zane replied, rubbing his forehead in frustration—both because of Sean's condition and the situation with their headquarters.

"Then before he wakes up, Kael and I will grab some food," Xion stood up cheerfully, nudging Kael along.

"I'm coming too."

"I'll pick the food myself to make sure it's nutritionally balanced," Zane said with a firm tone, surprising the other two.

"Uh… sure."

"Ryn, you stay here and watch over the Captain, okay? Want us to get you anything?" Kael asked with a friendly smile.

" Yes, three apples, please," Ryn replied without even looking up from his screen.

On Ryn's phone, dozens of comments flooded in—people reacting to the recent announcement that Guild Shadow had ended their recruitment and appointed a new leader.

> Is this for real? How amazing could this person be for Guild Shadow to make him leader, lol?

I saw him during the Rift disaster near the mall!

Did he close the Rift himself?

No way, lol. I saw a lightning bolt strike that monster—it was insane.

Rumor has it this guy has zero presence in the Hunter media. Total rookie.

What!? Then Guild Shadow must be planning something shady by choosing an inexperienced Hunter.

Hey!!! Don't insult my idol! Maybe he forced them with something else!!

Thud.

Ryn tossed his phone onto the couch in irritation.

All those comments—over and over—they were starting to weigh on his mind.

"They don't matter. What matters is you, Ryn. Just ignore them…"

A voice from the past echoed in his memory, bringing a faint smile to his lips.

He never got tired of admiring that person. But his smile faded as he glanced at the one who had said those words—now lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

Biting his lip, his thoughts spiraled. He should've been stronger. He should've protected him.

That bitter regret returned. After losing their leader in the Tower, his drive to become a strong Hunter had dimmed.

While Ryn was deep in thought, Sean suddenly stirred awake, startling him.

"Captain! Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Ryn leaned in, checking Sean's condition with worry.

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine. What happened to the monster?"

"It was defeated. The Rift's been fully sealed, too."

"Thank goodness… By the way, where's everyone else?" Sean winced slightly, reaching for his aching temple.

"Here, drink this."

Ryn quickly grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table and handed it to him.

"Thanks."

"The others went out to get food. If you want something special, I can text them right now," Ryn offered, waving his phone.

"No need," Sean replied with a soft smile.

"Um… okay."

Sean's eyes darkened for a moment. Ryn noticed and gently lowered his hand.

"Is something wrong, Captain?"

Sean averted his gaze to the glass in his hand, his finger slowly tracing along the rim.

"Why me?" he asked quietly, without looking at Ryn.

Ryn understood immediately. Sean was asking why him—why he was chosen, when there were so many stronger Hunters out there.

"Because…" Sean turned his eyes toward Ryn, hoping for a reassuring answer.

"Because we admire you the most, and you're special, Captain. So stop thinking like that!"

Ryn placed a hand on Sean's shoulder, his gaze filled with admiration.

Sean didn't respond, only staring back with a mix of confusion and wonder. He didn't understand why they saw him this way, yet a faint smile appeared on his lips—as if curiosity had taken root.

Realizing he was still touching his Captain, Ryn quickly pulled his hand back.

"Ah, sorry Captain! I got carried away!"

"No, it's fine."

"We're back!"

Kael's voice rang out as he opened the door, announcing their return.

"Captain, you're awake!" Xion grinned as he saw Sean sitting up in bed.

"Of course. It's nothing serious," Sean replied with a smile, brushing off the concern.

Zane's expression darkened as he walked over without saying a word.

SLAP.

The sound of a hard slap echoed through the room as Zane's hand hit Sean's cheek, turning his head sideways.

Everyone was stunned by Zane's sudden outburst.

"Nothing serious? You almost made us lose you for the second time!!"

Zane shouted, gripping Sean's shoulders and shaking him.

Sean looked around at the others, confusion flooding his face. They all averted their eyes, their expressions heavy.

"Second time…?"

Zane let go of him with a grim look and pulled out the food he brought.

"Eat. Then rest."

He placed the porridge on the table beside Sean's bed and walked away without another word.

Sean stared after him, baffled.

"Wow… He's really pissed," Kael said as he picked up the porridge and started feeding Sean.

"What did he mean by 'second time,' Kael?" Sean asked, still confused.

"Yeah, well… we used to have a leader who looked a lot like you. He went through a tragedy, and we… lost him. That's all," Kael replied with a casual tone to keep things light.

"Anyway, let's eat. Say ahhhhh~"

Kael scooped up a spoonful of porridge and offered it.

Without realizing, Sean accepted it. And another. And another.

"So? How's the porridge?" Kael asked with a grin.

"Hmm… A bit bland."

Xion and Ryn joined them on the bed, silently watching the two.

"Why was Zane so angry?" Sean asked, breaking the quiet again.

Kael set the empty bowl aside and handed Sean a glass of water, which he drank quickly.

"Captain, before you went to fight Creasper, didn't you promise us you'd protect yourself?" Xion said softly.

"Yeah."

"Then you should know your actions yesterday were reckless. You didn't think about the consequences."

Sean fell silent, staring at his hands, then slowly looked back at his team.

"I did think about it."

His answer caught everyone off guard.

"If you did… then why go through with it!?" Ryn demanded.

"I don't know. My body just moved on its own. There was a strange energy inside me… like my body knew it could win. But in the end, I was just a burden."

Sean stared down at his hands again, lost.

The others sat quietly. They knew the truth—Sean didn't.

And now, more than ever, questions began to grow:

What really happened?