Awakener's Guide to Climbing the Tower

Hiiro’s head lifted. For a brief second, surprise crossed his face. It was not the insult that caught him.

’Protagonist.’ He looked startled by the word itself, as though he had not expected anyone else in the Tower to use it to address someone.

He looked away and rubbed beneath his nose. "I never said I was the protagonist."

"You act like one."

The boy considered that for a moment. "That could mean several good things."

"It doesn’t."

His mouth opened, then closed again. The humor faded from his face. His fingers curled into the blanket, pulling the thin fabric into uneven folds across his lap.

Misha watched frustration settle across his face. It began in the line of his jaw, then moved into his shoulders. Most of his frustration turned inward, aimed at the body that had failed him.

"No matter how strong you are," she said, lowering her voice. "Your skill wasn’t the problem. Your level was."

Hiiro’s eyes flickered toward her. She could see the answer in them. He knew. He probably knew that better than anyone. His instincts, his training, and whatever experience he carried had pushed his body far beyond what someone at his current level should have managed. But the body still failed first.

He swallowed, his thumb rubbed once over the blanket. "I almost had them."

Misha stared at him. ’This boy... he really won’t just surrender won’t he? Not in battle, not in an argument and probably not even while unconscious.’

"You almost died."

His brows drew together. "I could have held out longer if the shield guy hadn’t–"

"You could have held out longer, yes," Misha interrupted, raising one hand before he could rebuild the entire battle around a different result. "And then you would have collapsed thirty seconds later instead. That isn’t winning."

The words landed harder than she intended.

His jaw tightened, his eyes dropped again.

For several seconds, the only sounds between them came from the infirmary. Astrid and Caius knew better than to interrupt her.

Misha stared at the boy’s lowered head. Despite her age, she still felt unprepared most days. Hiiro was younger, louder, and far more certain of himself. He carried confidence like armor, but confidence could not hold bones together. It did not stop him from nearly dying.

Moving her hand, she rested her palm lightly against his hair. The gesture startled the boy. Even Astrid and Caius looked at her.

"You’ll get stronger," she said as she pressed his hair flat where it had been sticking up. "Your body will catch up. You’ll gain more levels and unlock whatever else your class is hiding."

Hiiro remained unnaturally still beneath her hand. His eyes had gone wide again, though this time the surprise held none of the suspicion he had for her. He looked more like someone who had been struck by something he had no defense against.

"But if you keep trying to skip every step, there won’t be enough of you left to reach that point." She removed her hand and let it fall to her side. "So rest. You don’t have to catch up to anyone today. You don’t need to reach the top tomorrow either."

He glanced toward her. The frustration had not disappeared, but it no longer held his shoulders as tightly.

"You’ll defeat whatever stands in your way eventually," she added. "I’ve seen enough to believe that. For now, your only job is to stay on that cot and let your body recover."

The corner of his mouth twitched and before he could say something, she reached out and ruffled his hair. "That part is not negotiable."

Looking away, the tip of his ears began to redden again. He rubbed beneath his nose with one knuckle, and stared very intently at the opposite curtain. "That speech was kinda cool..."

Astrid pinched the blanket over his injured leg and pulled it higher with more force than necessary.

Hiiro hissed. "What was that for?"

"You were ruining the moment."

"I gave honest feedback."

"You were making it worse."

He adjusted the blanket carefully, his mouth pulling into a sulk. "Everyone here is hostile toward emotional honesty."

Misha stepped back before her smile became obvious.

Caius had gone quiet beside her. The wooden cups remained balanced in his hands, though the drink inside them had stopped steaming.

When she looked toward him, he was watching Hiiro with an expression she could not quite read.

"You too," she said.

His attention shifted fully toward her. "What?"

She took one of the cups from his hands. The drink had gone cold enough that the bitter smell no longer rose from it. "Stop looking as though you need a separate bed for emotional injuries."

Hiiro made a short sound that turned into a pained cough. He folded forward slightly, one arm hovering uselessly near his ribs. Astrid caught his shoulder again and steadied him before he could pull at the bandages.

Caius stared at Misha for two seconds before releasing a tired breath through his nose. "I should have poisoned your drink."

"Then your regret is your own responsibility."

Hiiro snorted again. The laugh pulled at his ribs. His face tightened, and he pressed his lips together as Astrid kept one hand on him.

Caius looked toward him, one brow rising faintly. "Funny how things come back around."

"Worth it," Hiiro managed through his teeth.

The healer who left earlier, returned with a fresh bowl of salve and stopped beside the cot. She looked over the four of them. Her gaze moved from Hiiro to Astrid, then Misha to and Caius standing nearby.

The bowl struck the small table harder than necessary.

"Only one visitor is supposed to remain," she said, wiping her fingers on a folded cloth. "The rest of you are blocking the aisle, distracting the patient, and encouraging him to talk."

"I don’t need encouragement," Hiiro said with a pout.

The healer gave him a flat look. The pout disappeared and slowly, he leaned back against the pillow.

"So who’s staying?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I will." Misha answered before anyone else could.

Astrid’s gaze moved toward her. For a moment, the girl did not seem ready to leave. Her gaze dropped to the bandage around Hiiro’s waist, then travelled to his swollen ankle.

Misha noticed it. "You need rest too."

The young girl’s lips parted. Misha raised one brow and whatever argument Astrid had prepared died before it reached her mouth. She looked down at her own arm as though she had forgotten the bandage wrapped around it.

Misha turned to Caius. "Cai, take her to the dining hall."

Caius froze, it lasted less than a second. He never thought he would hear that nickname again.

She pointed toward the door. "Food, then rest. Both of you."

Caius gave her a look that suggested he wanted to argue. His gaze shifted toward Hiiro, then back to Misha. Finally, he inclined his head.

Astrid stood from the stool. Her knees stiffened slightly after sitting for so long, but she steadied herself before anyone could help. She adjusted the sleeve covering her bandaged forearm and turned toward Hiiro.

He was already looking at her but neither of them spoke at first.

The healer dipped two fingers into the salve and began spreading it along the stitched wound in Hiiro’s shoulder, making him flinch.

"Don’t stand again."

Hiiro settled farther into the pillow. "No promises."

Astrid narrowed her eyes, glaring coldly at him.

He lifted one hand carefully, palm facing her in surrender. "Fine. I won’t."

"Rest," she said, her voice quieter now.

He nodded, his grin softened. "You too."

Astrid looked away, a faint warmth had reached her chest once again.

Caius waited near the aisle. Astrid joined him, though her steps slowed once as she glanced back over her shoulder.

Hiiro had closed his eyes, or pretended to. The moment Astrid faced the door again, one of his eyes opened.

Misha caught him looking after her. Then he noticed her watching and shut his eyes immediately.

She decided not to comment. Yet. She had already seen enough to know where this was going. Whether either of them realized it was another question entirely.

Caius stepped aside to let another healer pass before following Astrid toward the exit. At the doorway, he stopped. His gaze found Misha across the room. He gave her a small nod and she returned it. Then he turned and left with Astrid.

Their footsteps faded beneath the noise of the infirmary.

Hiiro opened both eyes and turned her way. "Did you really have to send her away?"

Misha folded her arms across her chest. "You need rest."

"I can rest while people are here."

"You talk when people are here." She pulled the abandoned stool closer and sat beside the bed. "Are you planning to leave again?"

Hiiro studied her expression. Whatever he saw made him sink deeper beneath the blanket. "No..."

She leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. "Good."

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