Kael opened his eyes to the familiar, sterile white ceiling of the infirmary. A dull ache pulsed through his entire body. A different healer, an older woman with kind eyes, was checking his bandages.
"This place again," he mumbled, his voice hoarse. "So I am still a loser."
The healer sighed softly. "I know what you are thinking, child. But don't. That kind of thinking will only make you guilty for things that are not your fault."
Kael looked away, staring at the wall. "I know. But the reality can't be changed, can it?"
"The others," the healer said, her tone gentle but firm, "they left for Valarus after you... after the match. It's the place where Marions live. A huge, glorious building with rooms and training grounds. There are four buildings just like it in the kingdom. Their training begins tomorrow. After that, they will be assigned jobs. They will earn money, become heroes. You are eighteen, the same age. I know this will put you in a depression, but for your own sake, try not to think about it."
She gave his shoulder a comforting pat and left, closing the door quietly behind her.
The moment she was gone, the dam broke. Hot, silent tears streamed down Kael's face. "I can't do anything," he whispered to the empty room. "If I had my mom and dad... they would see how weak their son is. They'd be ashamed."
He looked at his bruised fists, then slammed one into the wall beside his bed. A fresh jolt of pain shot up his arm, but he welcomed it. "Why? Why does this all happen to me? Nobody wants me! Why? Because I am weak! I don't deserve anything because I am weak! Is this how the world works? Huh?!"
He cried until exhaustion pulled him into a troubled, painful sleep.
The next morning, he woke up. The bleeding on his hands had crusted over. His body felt heavy, his soul emptier than ever. With dead, hollow eyes, he got up and walked out into the corridor of the orphanage. It was silent; everyone was gone.
Then, something strange happened.
He could hear two cleaners gossiping. Their voices were clear, but they were all the way down in the kitchen, through multiple walls. What the hell?
He blinked, and for a second, his vision shifted. The solid stone wall in front of him seemed to fade, and he could see the outline of the people talking. What am I dreaming? He slapped himself hard across the face.
The world spun, and darkness swallowed him whole. He collapsed to the floor.
A second later, his eyes fluttered open. He was back in his bed. Oh. So it was a dream. A cruel, stupid dream.
Just as the thought formed, a voice, clear and melodic, spoke directly into his mind.
"Hey, sir! I am Mano. A power that can help you become more powerful."
Kael shot upright, his heart hammering. "What the hell is going on?!" he yelled at the empty room.
"Don't worry, sir. I am not an enemy. You can see me as your sister."
"Who the hell are you?" Kael whispered, terrified. "Are you some kind of ghost or something?"
"No, sir. I am just a power creator. I was created by a god."
"A god?!" Kael's mind reeled. "Who's that?"
"Sorry, but I can't say the name of my creator."
"Am I going mad? Why are you in my mind?" Kael asked, pressing his hands to his temples.
"No, sir, it's real. You can punch yourself to see if you don't believe me."
"Really?" Kael said, skepticism warring with desperate hope. He punched his own leg. "Agh! Yeah, yeah, you are real. I trust you." The pain was too sharp to be in a dream.
"Sir, you can create powers by exercising or killing Bores, the monsters."
Kael's thoughts raced. What the hell is this thing in my mind, and it knows about Bores?
"Sir, I can hear what you are thinking. I am not a 'thing.' I am a power-up system, you could say."
"Oh, sorry. You can listen," Kael said aloud, feeling foolish. He thought internally, So I have to exercise or kill Bores to earn powers, huh? A tiny, fragile flame of hope began to flicker in his chest. "Is this really going to happen, or are you just teasing me?"
"Trust me, sir. It will happen."
Kael thought about it. He thought about the bullies, the laughter, the dull, dark stone. He thought about the impossible chance he was being offered. A slow, real smile finally spread across his face for the first time in what felt like forever.
"Okay then," he said, his voice filled with a new, steely resolve. "Let's get to work."
(Chapter 4 Fin)