Botkins Hospital, Moscow, Russia.
Max's eye fluttered open to the steady beeping of the electrocardiogram beside his bed. The sterile white ceiling came into focus, along with the oxygen mask pressed against his face and the tight bandages wrapped around his head and right eye. A dull ache throbbed in his hips. He slowly turned his head from side to side, taking in his surroundings. The clinical smell, the machines, the IV drip,it confirmed what he already feared.
He was in a hospital. He had survived.
The last thing he remembered was lying paralyzed in the middle of the road, his friends' mangled car not far away, a limp arm hanging from the shattered window. Even now, he couldn't feel his legs. Nothing from the waist down responded. He was paralyzed. But that was the least of his concerns.
His mind raced, wondering if everything he had experienced had been nothing more than a dying dream or hallucination,until a familiar chime echoed in his head.
[System Notification]
[Transmigration sequence completed. Host has returned to the point of origin following death after sacrificing himself on the Miracle Machine].
Max stared at the translucent message hovering in his vision. 'So it wasn't a dream.'
Another notification appeared immediately after.
[Regarding the purpose of your transmigration: The purpose was to teach you the value of life,that there is so much worth living for, but only if you choose to fight for it. Before this encounter, your life felt disposable because of how unfavorable it had become. That truth remains, and your new condition will make it even harder. Yet you are no longer the same person. You have been changed by everything you experienced. As such, the purpose of your transmigration has been fulfilled. The system will now disengage]
The message lingered for a moment before continuing.
[Though I remained mostly passive, I was aware of everything that happened to you and everything you did. It has been quite the experience, Alexander Max Schiller. Goodbye.]
The notification dissolved, leaving Max alone with nothing but the beeping machines and his thoughts.
He lay still, staring at the ceiling as memories flooded through him. A life where, without a doubt, he had been happy,the happiest he had ever been. Thena. Terra. Diana. The Justice League. All the people he had met, all the bonds he had formed.
In the middle of those precious memories, everything he had been holding back since the day Nina died finally broke free.
Tears slipped from his one remaining eye, tracing silent paths down the side of his face.
The door to his room opened quietly.
A nurse in her mid-twenties stepped inside, clipboard in hand. She glanced up and froze.
Her patient, who had been unresponsive for forty-seven hours, was awake.
And silently crying.
Her professional expression softened. She crossed the room and stopped beside his bed.
"Вы проснулись," she said gently.
(You're awake.)
Max slowly turned his eye toward her.
The nurse checked the vitals monitor while keeping her attention on him. "Как вы себя чувствуете? Вы меня слышите?"
(How are you feeling? Can you hear me?)
He looked at her for a few seconds before giving a small nod.
She made a few notes on her clipboard, then looked back at him with compassion. "Мы знаем о вашем друге. Мне очень жаль. Это была не ваша вина."
(We know about your friend. I'm very sorry. It wasn't your fault.)
The room fell quiet for a moment.
"I насчёт ваших ног… врачи хотят поговорить с вами, когда вы будете готовы."
(And regarding your legs… the doctors would like to speak with you when you're ready.)
Fresh tears rolled down Max's cheek. The nurse hesitated, then reached over and gently wiped them away with a tissue. When she finished, she offered him a small, warm smile.
"Вы не один. Мы рядом."
(You are not alone. We're here.)
Max's lips moved beneath the oxygen mask. Noticing this, the nurse leaned forward and carefully adjusted it to make speaking easier.
For a few seconds, he simply looked at her. Then, in a hoarse whisper, he spoke.
"Спасибо."
(Thank you.)
The nurse smiled warmly. "Пожалуйста."
(You're welcome)
The nurse finished her final notation on the clipboard and tucked it under her arm. She checked the monitor one last time before turning back to Max with a gentle smile.
«Я сообщу вашим родителям, что вы проснулись. Они приходили каждый день, чтобы узнать о вашем состоянии. Я уверена, они будут очень рады этой новости,»,сказала она, направляясь к двери. Она остановилась, рука на ручке, и оглянулась на него ещё раз. «Я скоро вернусь.»
("I'll let your parents know you're awake. They've been here every day to check on you. I'm sure they'll be relieved when I tell them the news," she said as she moved toward the door. She paused with her hand on the handle and looked back at him once more. "I'll be back soon.")
At those words, a spark of hope gleamed in Max's remaining eye. After everything he had been through, seeing his parents again was something he desperately looked forward to.
---
Meanwhile, in Starlight City
Thena sat on her bed in the early morning light, staring at the photograph in her hands. It was the one she had promised her father she would take care of. The image showed five people standing in front of a school entrance. Thena was grinning widely, Terra stood beside her with her unenthusiastic expression after all that hadbt been her firsttime going to school, Nina beamed behind them while holding up peace signs, and their mother wore a warm smile. Max stood at the back with a stoic face,though if you knew him well enough and looked closely, you could just make out the faint smirk of amusement on his lips.
As she gazed at the photo, memories came rushing back: all the happy times they had shared together,the laughter, the adventures, New Year's Eve at the beach. Her vision blurred as her eyes began to water.
"I miss you, Dad," she murmured softly.
A knock at the door startled her. She quickly wiped away the tears.
"Thena?" Diana's warm voice called from the other side. "Breakfast is ready. Can I come in?"
Thena tucked the photo away and took a steadying breath. "Yes, you can come in."
The door opened, and her mother stepped inside. The moment Diana saw her daughter's puffy eyes, she moved straight to the bed and pulled Thena into a tight hug. Thena leaned into her without a word, burying her face in her mother's shoulder as Diana rubbed her back soothingly.
It had been exactly two weeks since Max passed. Even now, Diana missed him deeply. She had thought that in those final moments,when she had finally confessed what she had been holding inside,her heart would find some peace and begin to let go. But it hadn't. Instead, it felt like she had told him too late. Perhaps if she had said it earlier and been rejected, the pain would have been cleaner than this lingering ache she carried now.
End of Chapter
Chapter 55:A powerful stranger
Chapter 56:Confession
Chapter 57:The End