How To Survive A Calamity

A couple of days and weeks passed gradually since the Dark Castle incident at the Dungeon, where an otherwise 'simple' Practical Field Experience became one of Aegis Academy's greatest tragedy since it's establishment.

And i was only just waking up, while the rest of the world continued to spin and rotate indifferently. To be more accurate, i was one of the last to come to, out of the majority.

By this point, most of the surviving Cadets who were passed out cold or in some kind of coma had woken up and recovered enough to at least be discharged. This left the main infirmary scanty. While the cadets with more longer lasting scars were moved to more private and isolating units just like i was.

It was kind of embarrassing.

"Everyone was really worried about you. I heard your physical condition was the worst with so much damage that you were in coma. And then, it didn't seem like you'd be waking up anytime soon." Alexander's voice was heavy as he said with relief, sitting on a chair next to the bed i sat on.

My left hand covered in a thick cast hung off a strap from over my neck, and the nurse from earlier had left behind a single crutch laying next to me. Managing to adjust my shirt slightly just underneath my mangled arm, i gave Alex a meaningful look, raising my brow curiously.

"We?"

Alex nodded, shifting to stare outside the window a little absentmindedly as something flickered strangely in his gaze.

"Yeah. The class rep, Ceres and the others. Even Chelsea."

Something fluttered almost instinctively inside my chest and my eyes flicked at Alex's words almost like a reaction. It was for a short, and brief moment that quickly passed, but the weight the mention of Chelsea's name seemed to bring for me was unfortunately something i couldn't miss, even if i wished to deny it.

Immersed in his own thoughts at that moment, Alex didn't seem to realise my short moment of lapse and continued. Snapping out of whatever his absentminded thoughts had been, Alexander shifted his gaze back and away from the window, focusing them on me.

"...Have you heard about how everything turned out in the end?"

It seemed like an almost innocent question of Alex being considerate about trying to keep me up to date with information i might have been lacking, but the depth of his words still held true.

This time around, i held Alex's gaze and retreated into my thoughts only briefly for at most a second, taking a slight pause in my actions and reply to partially feign contemplation and uncertainty. Eventually, i decided to nod in the end before responding.

"I was briefed when i woke up, but it felt like there's a lot of blanks to fill in, even after that. So I'm not really sure..."

Alex nodded in understanding and closed his eyes quietly, his voice subdued as he spoke the next moment.

"That's expected. It's no suprise what you said. Everything to be considered, it's obvious the Academy wishes to keep as much as what happened in the Dungeon under wraps as possible. The events were truly terrifying and tragic, the negative effects are resounding and could deal servere damages and blows to Aegis on the long run like this. It's no wonder they wish to control the exact details and amount of information that goes around as much as they're able too. They would first of all have to begin with the restriction of the circulation of information around the cadets within the Academy's walls..."

I agreed with Alex's reasoning as well. In fact, i had already long reached the same conclusion after waking up. Back then, after being given a rough and vague summary of the events leading up until my awakening after the incident, i was asked a series for questions and various interrogation sessions, really.

In the end, i even had to be sworn to secrecy and swore to never reveal what i had told them to anyone else, much less even speak of the events casually myself.

Of course i hadn't fabricated my side of the story, i had only divulged the parts of my experiences in the Red Dessert and Dark Castle that were convenient. Basically, i had just told them the same thing they probably should have heard from the other Cadets, while also making sure they tallied with the experience shared with Deandra and the others.

'To the Academy and literally everyone else, i had never run into Nicodemus directly throughout Dark Castle, neither had i been there during the clash against Alex. In fact, i don't even know if Nicodemus died and how the whole situation was resolved and the rest of the events living up until now.'

My recount of the events, according to my 'hazy' memory as of the time i just woke up, began from what i could remember upon entering the Dungeon up until, all of a sudden, i lost consciousness and passed out at some point. That passed out part was real, though.

But everything else within that period and after was a blur and a blank to me.

"What happened?" I said at Alex after a small pause.

A crooked, smile tugged at the white haired boy's lips.

"Ah well, you were found completely unconscious and bloodied in a part of the labyrinth, surrounded by slain Monster corpses..."

'Hm?'

My eyes flickered curiously at that point, my brows ruffling and narrowing as Alex's lips parted again as he looked up, his eyes lighting up sharply as he seemed to suddenly remember something

"Also, back then—"

However, before Alex could continue, the two of us hadn't talked for a while before the door to the room suddenly pushed open and someone walked in, completely throwing off our conversation right then.

"Oh, you had a visitor, i didn't know. I hope I'm not interrupting."

The person who came in was instantly recognisable to me. With a sparse, balding head, and deep dark circles under their eyes hidden behind a thin framed pair of lense, it was the same Doctor that had been attending to me for the whole while i remained here in the infirmary.

I straightened up while sitting on the bed slightly and shifted my gaze to meet the practitioner in a white lab coat with a nurse standing a pace behind him, holding on to a clip board.

I shook my head dismissively. "No, I was just waiting for you since you passed on to me that you'll be coming to see me one last time before i can finally be dismissed."

In fact, i had initially been getting ready to find the middle aged man myself, perhaps by finding his office or something, just to hasten what other final matters he had with me so i could more quickly get out after so long, but Alex's appearance was really unexpected.

The doctor nodded mildly, adjusting his frames and rubbing his glabella. He took a couple step forward into the room as he moved closer towards us with a sigh.

"Yes, i apologise for taking too long, you must really be eager to get up and leave after all this time. Well, i won't waste any more of your time yet. Rest assured, the decision to have you discharged today won't or hasn't been withdrawn. In fact, the reason I'm here is concerning the concluded result and evaluation of you current condition and the other various tests that had been carried out throughout your stay." The doctor said, adding as he continued;

"It's entirely your right to know after all."

As the doctor spoke, his words which were originally languid and laced with evident exhaustion, probably from over work, became heavier with breath.

"Oh..." I only managed to utter mildly.

From the way he spoke, i felt a small tinge of unease wriggle at the back of my head. Regardless, i kept my thoughts away from my expression and continued neutrally, Alex sitting quietly throughout the entire moment.

"And what do the tests say?"

Just then, the doctor shifted his glasses again, this time seemingly hesitant, and glanced at Alex from the corner of his eyes.

"Ah."

Alexander seemed to pick up on the meaning of that sidelong gaze and quickly stood up, shuffling out of his seat, seeming to want to leave. He was waving his hands through the air in a fluster with embarrassment.

"Right. This is where i take my leave—"

"No, there's no need." I interjected casually before Alex could continue.

Contrary to what it might seem, it wasn't that Alexander was being chased out of the room by anyone or the doctor. No, it was simply a matter of disclosure concerning the results of my tests. The doctor was just being conscious of the surrounding and making sure the people around currently were those i didn't mind divulging the information of what my tests results were — whatever they were.

My relationship with Alexander right from the beginning up until now was inaffable, and even if i was asked, i couldn't confidently or properly describe just what you would call it. In fact, i couldn't even properly describe my feelings for Alex without proper justification and without sounding like an immature brat throwing a tantrum.

Most, if not all, our conversations leading up till this point were unsociable and blunt.

Looking back, even i agree i acted completely like an unfriendly prick — an ass — while Alexander kept on persisting around me, most likely only with good intentions and friendly will. But i only continued to treat him with my one-sided and annoyance and vague dislike.

...Yet despite all that, he was the only one who showed up to come check on my well-being when i expected no one else would.

It wasn't just this time, too.

Wasn't Alexander also there after i was knocked out by Ceres?

And that time with the bald instructor from the first General Combat Class.

Even right from the very beginning with the bully. Hadn't Alex always been there?

Just...what really were my true thoughts and feelings about Alexander? What were they like before?

And what about now?

Once again, i realised, I really didn't know anything about Alexander.

I looked between the doctor and Alex, my gaze flickering before calmly setting still on Alex's surprised and shock expression.

"I want you to stay."