The hospital room was bright, sunlight streaming through the windows and casting warm patterns across the white walls. Eren sat on the edge of the bed while the nurse carefully unwound the bandages from his arms.
"Your void energy really sped up your healing," she said, unable to hide the note of admiration in her voice. "Most people with injuries like yours would be bedridden for weeks."
Eren studied his arms. The wounds had closed, leaving only pink scars where the worst of the damage had been.
"You're lucky," she continued, "but I'd advise against battle for a while yet. Your body still needs time to recover fully."
He nodded.
His left hand, however, remained broken. The nurse fitted it with a cast, wrapping it in clean white material with practiced efficiency.
"Keep this on for at least two weeks. No heavy lifting, no combat. Understood?"
"Yes."
He flexed his fingers experimentally. The cast felt awkward, but manageable.
"Alright. You're free to go."
Eren rose, adjusting his sling, and made his way out into the corridor.
Grace was waiting for him, her face lighting up the moment she saw him.
"Eren!" She ran over, nearly tackling him in a hug.
"I'm out," he said, wincing as she squeezed his injured arm.
"Sorry—sorry!" She released him just as quickly, stepping back with an apologetic grimace.
Lyra approached from behind Grace, a small, composed smile on her face.
"Welcome back," she said.
"Thanks."
"We're having a party," Grace announced, practically bouncing on her heels. "A recovery welcome party. For you."
Eren blinked. "A party?"
"Everyone's coming. The Tordians too."
His heart skipped.
The Tordians too.
That meant—
"Kaelen?" he asked, trying and failing to sound casual.
Grace's eyes sparkled with barely restrained delight. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
Lyra and Grace exchanged a knowing look that Eren pretended not to notice.
The party was held in the main hall, and it was larger than Eren had expected. Hunters, Supporters, Lurkers, Jokers—everyone had turned out. Long tables groaned under the weight of food, music drifted from hidden speakers, and laughter rose and fell across the crowded room.
Then the Tordians arrived.
They moved through the hall with an effortless, liquid grace, scales catching and scattering the light. Eren spotted Kaelen almost immediately.
She wore something different tonight—a flowing blue dress that called to mind the roll of ocean waves. Her hair, usually bound back, fell loose over her shoulders.
She looked beautiful.
He made himself look away. Act normal. Just act normal.
The games began not long after. A winged Hunter took to the air, spinning through acrobatics that drew cheers from the crowd below. Another conjured flames that twisted into the shapes of animals, prowling briefly through the air before dissolving. A shapeshifter cycled through the faces and voices of famous musicians, drawing laughs with each uncanny impression.
Eren laughed too—genuinely, for the first time in weeks.
Grace seized his good arm and hauled him toward the game area.
"Come on! You have to try this!"
"I have a broken hand," he protested.
"So use the other one!"
He found he couldn't refuse her.
Later, Eren drifted to the edge of the crowd and watched the organized chaos unfold before him. It was nice. Normal, even.
Then Kaelen appeared at his side, and he startled.
"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.
"Kaelen! Hi—I didn't see you there."
She smiled. "You seem nervous."
"Nervous? Me? No, I'm not nervous."
"Your face is turning red."
He touched his cheek. It was warm.
"It's... probably just the room temperature," he said.
Kaelen tilted her head, unconvinced. "The room temperature."
"Yes."
She regarded him for a long moment.
"You're a strange surface person."
"Strange?"
"Not in a bad way." She turned back toward the crowd. "Just different."
He wasn't sure how to respond. "Different how?"
She considered the question, quiet for a moment before answering.
"Most surface people I meet are either afraid of me, or trying to impress me. You're—" she searched for the word, "—genuine."
His face grew warmer still.
"I just don't know how to act around you."
"Then act natural."
"I don't know what that means."
She laughed, the sound soft and musical.
"Most people don't."
As the night wound down, guests began to drift toward the exits, their laughter fading into the dark. Eren lingered near the door, watching Kaelen gather with the rest of her team to leave.
"Goodbye," she said, pausing beside him.
"Goodbye."
"Get stronger," she added. "I want to see what you can do once you're fully healed."
He nodded. "I will."
She offered him one last smile, and then she was gone.
Eren stood there for a while afterward, his heart pounding in his chest.
Back in his room, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The Voice stirred.
"Your face is red again."
"Shut up."
"I'm just saying."
"I know what you're saying."
*"She's a fish person."*
"She's a Tordian."
"Same thing."
Eren grabbed his pillow and pressed it over his face.
"Go to sleep," he muttered.
The Voice laughed softly.
"Whatever you say, Eren."
End of Chapter Twenty-Five