# CHAPTER 17
Consciousness didn't return to Krist in a gentle wave; it hit him like a physical blow.
At first, there was only pitch-black silence. Then, his eyelids forced themselves open, and the world dissolved into an agonizing, blurry white canvas. The light was so blindingly harsh that he instinctively threw his arm over his face, shielding his hyper-sensitive vision until the jagged glare smoothed out into recognizable shapes.
He was lying on an adjustable bed. Sterile white tiles lined the ceiling, and the faint, unmistakable scent of antiseptic hung in the air. A hospital.
As Krist forced himself into a sitting position, a dull, pulsing ache throbbed rhythmically against his temples. *How did I end up in a hospital?* he thought, his brow furrowing. Then, like an opened floodgate, the memories of the previous night rushed back. The server vault. The catastrophic auditory overload. The terrifying drop from the fourth floor.
His expression darkened. "This is going to get troublesome," he muttered, letting out a long, dejected sigh. "Now I have to deal with this, too. I guess this one's on me."
Knowing he needed to stabilize his fractured nervous system, Krist swung his legs around, crossed them over the mattress, and closed his eyes. He drew a slow, deliberate breath, steadying the erratic rhythm of his chest, and began to meditate, forcing the chaos in his mind to recede.
He remained in that suspended state for an unknown length of time until the soft, mechanical click of the door handle broke his concentration.
A striking woman walked into the room, carrying a stainless-steel medical tray holding a small paper cup of pills and a glass of water. Standing at an elegant five-foot-eight, with a sharp, model-esque figure that effortlessly commanded attention, she looked far more like a high-fashion runway icon than a standard nurse. Her shoulder-length hair was a unique, soft shade of misty rose, framing a face that was currently wearing a warm, maternal smile.
Seeing Krist awake and upright, her smile widened. "Look who finally decided to join the living," she said softly.
"Yeah," Krist murmured, keeping his eyes half-closed to block out the remaining glare.
"Sooo, how are you feeling?" she asked, setting the tray down on the bedside cabinet.
Krist fully opened his eyes, his first instinct mapping the digital clock on the wall: **10:47 AM**. He took a quiet breath, smoothing his expression into a neutral mask. "I'm okay."
The nurse's smile twitched, taking on a playfully sharp edge. "Are you sure about that, brat?"
Krist froze. The sudden, informal shift in her tone sounded terrifyingly familiar. He slowly turned his head to lock eyes with her. The initial shock on his face instantly melted into deep, burning embarrassment. Looking down at the white sheets, he cleared his throat and mumbled, "Good morning, Mrs. West."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Mrs. West?" she chided gently, stepping closer to step into his space. "It's Aunt Evelyn, okay?"
Before he could protest, Evelyn leaned over, pressing the back of her cool hand against his forehead to check his temperature.
"Okay," Krist said, his voice uncharacteristically small.
Satisfied that he wasn't burning up, she gently tilted his chin up to inspect the pupils of his eyes for neurological lag. Finding them stable, she picked up a small white pill and the cup of water from the tray, handing them over. "Here. Take this. It's a targeted neuro-relaxant. It'll ease the strain on your brain tissue."
"Thanks," Krist said. He swallowed the pill dry, taking only a small sip of the water to wash down the bitter aftertaste.
"Now," Evelyn began, taking the glass back and crossing her arms. "Would you mind telling me how you *really* feel? And don't give me that 'I'm okay' garbage you try to feed everyone else."
As she spoke, Krist looked past her brilliant smile, finally noticing what his regular sight had missed. Beneath her stunning features, the telltale signs of exhaustion were written clearly across her face—faint dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her posture carried a heavy, lingering fatigue. To a casual observer, her vibrant energy masked it completely, but to someone who knew her, the strain was obvious.
Krist offered a small, apologetic smile. "I wasn't sick to begin with, Aunt Evelyn. I'm fine, really. Just a lingering headache." He shifted the focus, looking at her curiously. "Maya told me last week that you were assigned to the permanent night shift at the clinic. Why are you still here at the main hospital? I thought you'd be home eating and sleeping."
Evelyn blinked in surprise, then laughed, reaching out to roughly ruffle his dark hair. "That's my boy. As wildly observant as always, huh?"
Krist didn't laugh; he just kept his steady, questioning gaze fixed on her, waiting for the truth.
Evelyn's laughter faded into a heavy sigh. She pulled up a rolling stool and sat down. "You're right, but you're also wrong. I worked consecutive morning and afternoon shifts yesterday. I had just gotten home, eaten, and was literally crawling into bed when Maya burst through the front door, dragging your half-dead body behind her. One look at the blood coming out of your ears told me this wasn't something a standard first-aid kit could fix. I brought you straight here, pulled some administrative strings, and signed up for an emergency double-overtime shift just so I could personally supervise your admission."
She leaned forward, her warm smile returning, though it was laced with mock grievance. "So, yes, you successfully robbed me of an entire night's sleep. Now, as direct payment for all the gray hairs you've given me, would you care to explain how my little man got reduced to such a horrifying state?"
Krist frowned slightly, looking at her weirdly. "Haven't Maya and the others told you?"
"Oh, they told me a story, alright. But I don't believe a single word of it," Evelyn said, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous squint. "Good grief, even my own daughter dared to look me in the eye and lie to me last night."
"Where are they now?" Krist asked, actively dodging the trap.
Evelyn gave him a knowing, deadpan look that clearly communicated: *I see exactly what you're doing.*
Krist looked away, realizing there was no escaping her interrogation. "Fine," he relented. "I'll tell you everything. But I want Luna, Harrison, and Maya in the room. I'm only explaining this once."
Evelyn stared at him for a long beat, measuring his resolve, before sighing and standing up. "They've been pacing the hallway outside since dawn. I'll go get them."
She turned and pulled the heavy door open. What she failed to notice was that the moment the barrier cracked, Krist instantly clamped his hands over his ears, his face contorting in a sharp wince as the ambient noise of the bustling hospital corridor crashed into the room.
As the door clicked shut behind her, Krist slowly lowered his hands, staring bitterly at the wood. "Yeah... definitely not okay yet. This is going to be a nightmare." With a dejected sigh, realizing he had temporarily crippled his greatest asset, he crossed his legs once more and closed his eyes to recalibrate.
A minute later, the door swung open again. Krist opened his eyes, adjusting his expression into a calm, welcoming smile. Evelyn stepped inside, holding the door wide for Maya, Harrison, and Luna, who were practically stepping on each other's heels to get in.
The moment the path cleared, Maya's eyes locked onto Krist sitting cross-legged on the bed. Without a second thought, she broke into a sprint.
"Hey! Careful, he's still—" Evelyn tried to intercept her, but Maya successfully ducked right under her extended arm.
Maya launched herself onto the mattress, throwing her arms around Krist's neck in a fierce, desperate hug. The sudden momentum caught Krist off guard, knocking him flat onto his back against the pillows.
"Thank God you're okay! I was so terrified," she fiercely mumbled into his shoulder, refusing to loosen her grip..
"Ahem. Young lady," Evelyn's stern voice cut through the air from the foot of the bed. "Can you please refrain from fracturing his ribs until he actually recovers?"
When Maya stubbornly ignored her, Evelyn stepped in, firmly grabbing the back of her daughter's collar and hoisting her off Krist like a disobedient puppy. Maya thrashed around, trying to break free, but Evelyn calmly dragged her across the spacious room and forced her down into an armchair.
Ensuring they were well out of earshot from the hallway, Evelyn crossed her arms and glared down at her daughter. "What have I told you about boundaries regarding boys?"
Maya's fiery energy vanished instantly. She looked down at her lap, her fingers nervously twisting a strand of her stark white hair. "That I should maintain a respectable distance and respect physical boundaries," she mumbled in a tiny voice.
"So, what exactly was that display just now?" Evelyn demanded, her tone sharpening.
"That... that was..." Maya flinched slightly under her mother's predatory gaze.
"I am asking you a direct question, Maya."
"But Mom! I was just out of my mind with worry!" Maya protested, her voice cracking slightly. "We thought he was going to have a brain hemorrhage!"
"Oh, I'm sure you were worried," Evelyn said, her voice dripping with dry sarcasm. "You were so worried that you didn't even bother to ask for a medical status update before tackling a patient suffering from severe cranial trauma."
"I'm sorry," Maya whispered, thoroughly defeated.
"You better be. My eyes are on you, young lady. One more stunt like that, and you're grounded until graduation. Do you understand me?"
Maya nodded slowly. "I understand."
Satisfied, Evelyn turned on her heel and walked back toward the bed, where Harrison and Luna were currently exploring the perimeters of the room.
"Man, I still can't believe they keep a room this massive completely vacant," Harrison remarked, running a hand over the polished mahogany paneling of the built-in entertainment center.
"Yeah, seriously," Luna added, looking around the luxurious, suite-like space. "I figured after your parents passed away, the board would have immediately rented this out to some wealthy executive family."
"My uncle owns the entire medical network," Krist stated simply, leaning back against the headboard.
Harrison froze, spinning around. "Wait, what?"
"Are you telling me the largest private hospital conglomerate in the country is owned by your uncle?" Luna asked, her jaw dropping slightly.
"More or less," Krist answered.
Harrison threw his hands up in exasperation. "Dude! Your parents were literally the richest, most influential figures in the entire republic, and now you're telling me your family tree stretches into the medical monopoly? If you have backing like that, why haven't you just asked your uncle to clean up this entire mess with Bellatrix?"
"Because it's not that simple," Krist's tone quieted, a shadow passing over his eyes. "No one has seen or heard from him since the day of my parents' funeral. I've tried visiting his private estate, but his legal team claims he's permanently out of the country on confidential business. I have to sort out my own problems. I can't spend my life relying on ghosts to bail me out. My dad used to tell me: *if you want something done right, you do it yourself.*"
Harrison's expression turned serious as he stepped closer to the bed. "Alright. So what exactly happened in that vault? Did you get caught?"
"Yeah, who did that to you?" Maya asked, having scrambled back over from her designated chair. "Was it Bellatrix? Or was it Adams?"
Evelyn's head snapped up at the mention of the name. She looked directly at Maya, her maternal warmth instantly evaporating. "Which Adams are we talking about? Is it Adams Otieno?"
Maya nodded grimly.
The temperature in the luxury suite seemed to plummet instantly. A palpable, suffocating wave of pure, unadulterated killing intent radiated from Evelyn. Her eyes turned ice-cold, their misty rose color suddenly looking dangerously sharp. "That wretched, arrogant bastard," she hissed, her voice vibrating with quiet fury. "He dares to lay his filthy hands on Krist? I will personally end him. He's been acting like a god ever since he amassed that pathetic little sliver of political power."
Harrison and Luna instinctively took three large steps away from Evelyn, their survival instincts screaming. Even Maya looked at her mother in sheer shock; she had rarely seen her mother display this level of raw, terrifying malice.
Krist, however, remained completely unfazed. He had grown up around his mother when she was genuinely furious with corporate competitors, so Evelyn's aura, while impressive, didn't shake him.
"Calm down, Aunt Evelyn," Krist said, his voice smooth and steady. "Nobody did anything to me. I did this to myself."
Evelyn's intense aura snapped off, replaced by deep skepticism. "That is medically impossible, Krist." She stepped up to the bedside, leaning over him with a sharp, piercing stare. "Severe internal ear canal bleeding combined with acute neurological shock is caused by one of two things: catastrophic brain over-exertion, or a specialized high-frequency audio transmitter directed straight into the eardrums. You cannot manifest those symptoms by yourself. This only happens during high-level corporate torture."
She leaned in closer, her eyes boring into his. "Were you captured and tortured? Are you lying to prevent us from retaliating?"
Krist let out a wry, breathless chuckle. Everyone in the room was staring at him with absolute, deadpan gravity, fully prepared to believe Evelyn's theory. "Look, what you're saying makes perfect sense based on standard medical science. But reality is a bit more complicated."
"Then start explaining," Luna demanded, crossing her arms.
Krist took a slow breath, looking down at his hands. "The truth is... I have a condition. I don't know whether to classify it as a genetic abnormality or a neurological disorder."
Evelyn's clinical interest was instantly piqued. "What kind of disorder can actively overload your brain's sensory cortex to the point of physical hemorrhaging?"
"It gives me something akin to hyper-acute auditory perception," Krist explained. "Super-hearing, for lack of a better term."
Harrison stared at him for a quiet second, then burst out into loud, booming laughter. "Pfft—hahaha! What do you take us for, Krist? Comic book characters? Kids?" But as his laughter echoed through the silent room, he noticed that neither Krist nor Evelyn was smiling. Krist's expression was dead serious. Harrison's laughter died in his throat. "Wait... you're serious? That's impossible. Do you know how many classified things I've said and done when you weren't looking? If you had 'super-hearing,' you would have called me out on them instantly."
"Did you see blood pouring out of my ears back then?" Krist asked smoothly.
"Well... no," Harrison admitted, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
Maya looked up at her mother, her expression a mix of awe and concern. "Mom... is what he's saying even scientifically possible?"
Evelyn shifted her stance, her analytical mind working rapidly. "In mainstream medical journals? No. We have never documented a verified case of true hyper-acute sensory amplification. But theoretically? If the neural pathways in the temporal lobe were uniquely mutated to process sub-audible frequencies... yes, it is entirely possible."
Harrison rubbed his chin, trying to wrap his head around the concept. "So you're saying you have super-hearing, but it just random spikes on and off? And every time it spikes, you bleed from your ears and pass out?"
"No," Krist corrected. "This is the very first time I've ever lost consciousness from it. And it doesn't just 'spike on and off.' It is constantly active."
Luna's eyes widened. "Then why aren't you constantly bleeding from your ears?"
"Because it was being actively suppressed by specialized neurological dampers my father designed," Krist explained. He looked around the room, his gaze softening. "Which brings me to why I need to thank you guys for bringing me to this specific hospital."
"Why?" Harrison asked. "What's so special about this place that a regular clinic couldn't handle?"
"Look closely at the architecture," Krist said, gesturing to the walls. "This room was built with a custom-engineered infrastructure. It's heavily soundproofed."
"I did notice the acoustic dampening panels when we walked in," Evelyn murmured, nodding slowly.
"When the disorder first violently surfaced when I was five years old, my parents built this specific wing," Krist said. "This is where they brought me to stabilize my neural pathways whenever the dampers failed. Some of the veteran medical staff here know exactly how to handle my chart. The moment you brought me through the doors, they knew to bypass triage and bring me straight to this vault."
Harrison's eyes lit up, his prior skepticism completely vanishing as his tech-obsessed mind took over. He began shaking with pure, unadulterated excitement. "Dude... do you have any idea how insanely awesome that is?! You're basically a living, breathing surveillance system! You're a human radar!"
"Behave yourself, Harrison," Evelyn snapped, giving him a sharp look. "If you possessed even ten percent of your sister's quiet composure, it would be a massive blessing for all of us."
Harrison gasped dramatically, looking deeply offended. "Are you seriously implying that Luna's cold, robotic attitude is superior to my vibrant personality? That is absolute absurdity! I am a certified genius, I'll have you know!"
"See? This is exactly what Aunt Evelyn is talking about," Luna chimed in, rolling her eyes with clinical precision. "You are so incredibly loud and obnoxious."
Krist winced, leaning his head back against the pillows. "Alright, here we go again..."
True to form, Harrison and Luna instantly launched into a rapid-fire, highly animated argument, completely forgetting about the medical mystery sitting in front of them.
"Mom," Maya groaned, glaring at Evelyn.
"What?" Evelyn asked, looking entirely unbothered.
"Did you really have to compare him to Luna?" Maya sighed. "You know exactly what happens when you trigger his ego."
"What's wrong with that?" Evelyn shrugged casually. "I'm simply trying to illustrate that he needs to cultivate a more refined, stoic persona instead of acting like an arrogant, loudmouthed teenager at every turn. He should learn a thing or two from his sister."
Maya checked her watch, then leaned back in her chair with a defeated look. "Well, congratulations, Mom. You just successfully burned twenty minutes of our operational debriefing time."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?"
"Because they are going to aggressively debate who possesses the superior personality archetype for the next twenty minutes minimum. It's a mathematical certainty," Maya explained dryly.
Evelyn chuckled, amused. "And how could you possibly predict that with such certainty? Have you secretly developed a superpower to foresee the future too, Maya?"
Maya rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Of course I know. This happens literally every single time they're in the same room. In the brief time we were sitting out in the hallway waiting for Krist to wake up, those two managed to fiercely argue about three entirely unrelated, useless topics."
"And who usually wins these debates?" Evelyn asked, genuinely curious.
"That's the most infuriating part," Maya groaned, throwing her hands up. "Nobody ever wins! Luna always brings flawless, ironclad logical points to secure a victory, but Harrison is simply too shameless to ever admit defeat. Even when he's completely cornered, he just yells louder until everyone gives up."
Krist didn't say a word. With a look of pure, agonizing exhaustion, he slowly raised both of his hands, clamped them tightly over his ears, and slid flat onto his back, closing his eyes to shut out the chaos of his team.