NOVEL NEXT Chapter 499: Energy, Science, Laws
Jade kept her eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling as the familiar hum of the medical ward filled the room. A sudden clang caught her attention, and she turned her head slightly, a sharp pain flaring in her neck.
Her gaze met the nurse's, who stood frozen with a tray in her hands. The nurse wore a dark blue apron that covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. They locked eyes for a moment, the silence thick between them. Then, the tray slipped from the nurse's grasp, clattering to the floor as she gasped, "You're awake?!!!"
Jade didn't respond. She turned her head back toward the ceiling, ignoring the pain that shot through her muscles. She listened as the nurse's footsteps echoed down the hall, the urgency in her steps unmistakable.
I must have worried them, being asleep for so long, Jade thought, her mind drifting as she closed her eyes. It's a miracle I'm even alive…
The memories of the fight flooded her thoughts—how everything had escalated so quickly in the past year. Ty… I have to see him again. But will that bring him more harm?
Her mind wandered to the conversation she'd had with the white-flamed skeleton, a figure that looked every bit like the grim reaper from bad bedtime stories. Strange, she mused, he said he wasn't one. The memory lingered, haunting her as she lay there, the weight of everything pressing down on her.
Jade's thoughts wandered, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. How could any of this be possible? she wondered, her mind turning over the impossible events she'd witnessed. Everything must follow some type of science, she reasoned. Even magic—the insane things I've seen—must have laws, rules that are just invisible to the naked eye.
Her thoughts drifted to the skeleton who had given her the white-flamed eyes, the eyes that allowed her to see far beyond what she ever could have imagined. If it weren't for those eyes, I'd still be blind to so much. But the more I see, the more confusing everything becomes, and the more I question what's real.
But, she mused, there's one constant. Everyone has a framework they operate within. Even those world-destroyers, like that small boy or the martial artist—they can't just snap things into existence out of nothing. They have to follow the laws of the universe, at least to some degree.
The idea brought her a small measure of comfort, a sense that maybe, just maybe, she could figure out what she couldn't yet see—if she ever fully recovered. Wait… didn't the skeleton say Ty was supposed to show up in a few weeks?
A chill ran down her spine as she realized the implications. Just how long have I been out? she wondered, anxiety creeping in. I wonder if his sense of time is the same as mine. The thought lingered, heavy with uncertainty, as she tried to piece together the fragments of her reality.
She took a deep breath as she heard a door slam open before the curtain was ripped off as she saw Gojaro standing over her bed with tears streaming down his face as he broke down and stated "You finally woke up! Thank goodness.
Jade hesitated, unsure if she should ask the question that had been gnawing at her mind. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Master Gojaro…"
He was wiping his eyes, the sound of hurried footsteps echoing down the hall. "What is it?" he asked, turning his attention back to her.
Jade took a breath, trying to steady herself. "How are you walking? I… I remember you losing your leg to that boy. I don't know how I recall it, but your scream of pain is burned into my memory."
Master Gojaro rubbed the top of his head, looking a bit sheepish. Before he could answer, Rosa, who had been watching from the ceiling above, suddenly dropped down beside them, her face flushed and eyes wet. "Well," Gojaro began, "he only got my leg because I was already running dry on energy.
That creature I was fighting was just on another level… and then that damned Angelic creature just showed up and stole my kill…"
He started to lift his pant leg to show her, but before he could finish, Rosa let out a loud cry. "I'm so happy you're awake!" she shouted, leaping onto the bed with such force that her knee slammed into Jade's stomach.
Jade coughed, the air knocked out of her, and Gojaro quickly grabbed Rosa by the ear, pulling her off the bed. "Get off of her!" he yelled. "Do you want to send her into another coma?!"
Rosa, tears streaming down her face, shook her head frantically. "Nooo! I'm sorry, I just missed her so much!"
Jade lay flat on the bed, her right hand pressing against her stomach, trying to ease the discomfort from Rosa's enthusiastic greeting. Why does my body feel so light? she wondered. Is it because I'm malnourished?
She raised her hand, staring at her pale skin. Just beneath the surface, she could see faint lines of blue coursing through her veins. The energy seemed to flow alongside her blood, not touching it but using the same pathways, branching out into her fingertips. It was as if her body had become a conduit for something she was only beginning to understand.
Focusing on her hand, small white embers sparked from her fingertips, swirling in a delicate circle before breaking down and reforming. That's right, she thought, watching the energy dance, my ability to deconstruct and reshape things—to manipulate them on a linear and biological level.
But now, she could see the energy within her veins, something new, something powerful. Is it the boost? she wondered, her mind racing to piece it all together.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and looked back at Gojaro, who was still scolding Rosa. Despite his stern tone, there was a softness in his eyes, a relief that she was awake. Rosa, meanwhile, looked contrite, her bandaged body making her appear even smaller as she fidgeted in her cute pink kimono dress.
Her fox ears twitched slightly, still as fluffy as ever, a stark contrast to the seriousness of the moment.
Jade couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight.