Suddenly, he felt Rui. Her fear, her anger—her sadness.
Stabbing pain. A shock of ice.
Then nothing.
And he was dying he was dying he was dying—
Air rushed into his lungs. Sounds blasted his ears. The world was in motion again.
“Yiran? Yiran, what’s wrong?”
Worried faces surrounded him. He couldn’t see them. Everything was a blur of gray. His insidesburned.
“Hang on, Yiran—help’s coming.” The voice was distorted, far away and frightened.
It’s too late, Yiran tried to say. No sound came out of his mouth.
Someone gripped his arm. “What? What are you saying?”
Yiran closed his eyes... and the hollowness seeped into him again.
57
Rui
Three days later
“That’s right, Peter. As you can see behind me, multiple large sinkholes appeared three days ago during a fierce fight between members of the Exorcist Guild and a nest of Revenants.”
Rui’s eyes fluttered open.
She was startled to find herself staring at a blank white ceiling. For a moment, she thought she was back at the Guild’s secret facility, but the lighting here was soft and warm.
The clipped voice of the news reporter went on: “...after a preliminary survey of the area, authorities say that the damage to power lines and nearby buildings, while severe, can be fixed. A one-mile radius has been cordoned off while construction and recovery take place...”
Groaning, Rui tried to sit up.
A nurse hurried over. “You’re awake!” she exclaimed. “Was the TV too loud? I can turn it off.”
“Leave it on,” Rui mumbled. Her words came out heavy and slurred. Her throat was dry, her tongue lethargic. Thankfully, the nurse understood her.
Rui peeked under her blue hospital gown. Bruises stamped her torso, along with signs of magical healing. But there was only so much the Guild healers could do, especially if they were dealing with other casualties among the Exorcists. Rui’s broken fingers were taped up, her left arm was in a cast, and her head felt woozy in a way that made her certain she’d been given painkillers.
Something was thrumming in her veins... something familiar.
Rui took stock of her surroundings. The hospital room was large. A coffee table in the middle, a small sofa beside it, a plush armchair next to her bed, and a flat-screen television on the wall. She was the only patientin here. A private room with her own dedicated nurse? She couldn’t afford this.
She reached for the cup on the side table and came up with a fistful of air and a whimper.
“Here, let me.” The nurse set the cup carefully in Rui’s hand. “You’ve been unconscious for a few days. They gave you something for the pain. Everything will feel a little strange while your body adjusts.”
The nurse watched as Rui gulped down as much water as she could stomach. There was something odd about the way the nurse was looking at her. It gave off a sense of admiration bordering on reverence, and it made Rui uncomfortable. In the background, the news coverage droned on.
“...thank the Exorcists for their work. As you recall, three civilians were rescued from the scene due to the quick actions of Xingshan Academy’s top cadet, Lin Ru Yi, and dozens more were saved in the vicinity. We’re told Cadet Lin is currently recovering from her injuries...”
Rui dropped her cup. Water splashed onto her blue hospital gown, leaving an embarrassing splotch down the middle.
“...is the daughter of renowned biology researcher Dr. Matthias Lin, who is most known for his work on...”
