Everything hurt.
My body felt like someone had wrung it out and left it to dry in the sun. Even breathing took effort.
I cracked my eyes open. The ceiling above me swam, blurred, then slowly sharpened into focus. Familiar. Safe.
Soft breathing to my left—Grey, slumped against the wall with his head at an angle that was going to leave him complaining about his neck later. Dead asleep.
Something shifted on my right. The mattress dipped, and warmth pressed against my side.
I turned my head.
Aria was sitting on my bed, back propped against the wall, facing me. Also asleep. Her chest rose and fell in that slow, peaceful rhythm people only have when they're truly out. Her face was so close I could see her eyelashes flutter, could watch her lips part slightly with each breath.
She looked younger like this. All that tension she always carried—the sharp, guarded edge—had melted away, leaving someone softer. More vulnerable.
For a moment, I almost relaxed. They were both here. I wasn't alone. That was... nice.
Then reality caught up with me like a bucket of ice water.
She's on my bed. Aria is on my bed. With me.
Heat exploded across my face. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I could hear it in my ears.
I jerked upright—too fast, way too fast—and my balance just... wasn't there.
The world tilted.
My stomach lurched.
Then I was falling.
The impact knocked the air out of both of us. I landed right on top of Grey—elbow in his ribs, knee somewhere it absolutely shouldn't be, face inches from his.
"What the hell—?"
His eyes snapped open, going from confused to comprehending in about half a second. We stared at each other, noses almost touching. I could feel his breath on my face.
Then his arms locked around me like a vice.
"I thought you wouldn't wake up," he said, voice cracking. "God, what a relief—you're okay, you're actually okay—"
His hands were shaking. His whole body was shaking. And his eyes—there were tears gathering at the corners, barely held back.
"Hey! Don't be creepy! Let go!"
I tried shoving him off, but my arms had about as much strength as wet noodles. The words came out harsher than I meant, but I didn't know what else to do with the sudden tightness in my chest.
"Why should I? You're the one who jumped on me like some lovesick maiden."
There was that grin. Of course. Back to normal Grey.
"I didn't jump! I lost my balance and fell, you idiot!"
His grip finally loosened enough for me to scramble away. I sat there catching my breath, feeling this weird tangle of annoyance and relief and something else I couldn't quite name all twisted up together.
"What happened?" I asked. "How did I even get here? Last thing I remember, we were outside the holy land. In the forest."
"You collapsed from exhaustion."
Aria's voice. Quiet. Clinical. Too controlled.
She was awake now. My stomach flipped as I realized she must have woken up during—or maybe even before—my graceless tumble onto Grey. Heat flooded my face all over again. How much had she seen? Had she been watching the whole embarrassing mess?
I couldn't bring myself to look at her directly. Turning to Grey instead, I desperately needed something else to focus on. "Is that really it?"
"Yes. We trained hard for three days straight. So, what would you expect? You collapsed when the demon came."
The words hung in the air.
"When the what?"
My voice came out way too loud.
"Oops." Grey's face went pale. "Did I just—my tongue slipped."
"Grey. What. Demon."
"Sir Kaito—" Aria leaned forward, and I felt the mattress shift under her weight. "You don't remember what happened? Just like before, when you first used the holy sword?"
"No, Ay, I..." My head suddenly felt too heavy. "The last thing I remember is you losing control, and then you were crying, and something felt wrong but I don't—what happ—"
Pain.
White-hot and vicious, like someone had driven a railroad spike straight through my skull.
"Aww my head! It hurts!"
I pressed my hands against my temples, squeezing my eyes shut. The pressure was building, pulsing with every heartbeat, radiating out from behind my eyes.
"Kaito! Hey, you okay?"
Grey's hands gripped my shoulders.
"I'm fine, it's just—ow, ow, ow—it's not that bad, I can—"
"Let me help."
Aria's hands came up, already glowing that soft yellowish-white. The light cast gentle shadows across her face as she reached for me.
Her palms touched my forehead, and the warmth spread immediately—sinking deep, wrapping around the pain like a blanket smothering a fire. The pressure started to ease, the sharp edges dulling to something bearable.
"Healing magic works on headaches too?"
The words came out quieter than I'd meant them. I could still feel the magic working, this gentle pulse against my skull.
"Yes, Sir Kaito."
Her hands stayed steady, the glow never wavering, until the last of the pain melted away.
"That's... really convenient."
"We were going to wait," Aria said softly.
"Huh?" I lifted my head slightly, blinking at her through the lingering haze of relief. The headache was gone, but my thoughts still felt sluggish.
She met my eyes for a moment before continuing. "Let you recover first. But Grey..."
"Sorry!" He threw his hands up. "My bad!"
So they told me everything. Their voices overlapped—Grey stumbling through his parts, Aria filling in the gaps with that careful, measured tone of hers. The demon. My fighting style—the complete absence of self-preservation. How Boraz and Aria stepped in.
Each word landed like a stone in my gut.
I'd fought again. Without knowing. Without any memory of it. Without self-preservation.
The realization settled in my stomach like lead. First the Minotaur. Now a demon. Twice. Twice my body had moved while my mind was... somewhere else. Locked away. Gone.
And I had no idea what I'd done.
That was the worst part. Not the fighting—the empty space where the memories should be. The void where there should have been something—fear, adrenaline, pain, anything. But there was nothing. Just darkness, and then waking up here with my body aching from battles I couldn't remember fighting.
I stared down at my hands. They were trembling slightly in my lap.
These hands had fought a demon. They looked exactly the same as always. Normal. Nothing special.
But what had they done while I wasn't there to see it?
The not-knowing gnawed at me like something hollow and hungry. An ache worse than any headache could ever be.
Aria continued, "If this keeps happening, you won't survive the next fight. We need to find the cause so we can prevent it."
Grey went quiet, his eyes distant. Then he shifted, like he'd come to a decision. "I've been thinking about this," he said slowly. "I think I have a clue about what's happening to you."
Aria and I turned to see what he was about to say.
"When you fought that Minotaur back in our world, the first time the holy sword appeared in your hands, you spoke like a different person." He paused, searching for the right words. "Like 'synchronization is about to start,' then 'completed,' then 'neutralization process'... Like that."
He looked between us. "Does this make any sense?"
"Did you say synchronization?" Aria asked, her voice sharp with something I couldn't quite place.
"Yes. Is that bad or something?"
"No, I... I've never heard of it before." Her brow furrowed slightly. "How exactly did it happen?"
"Well, when I was injured and at death's door, Kaito was shocked. Didn't move at all. I tried my best to snap him out of it, but he just... didn't respond." Grey's voice grew quieter, like he was reliving the moment. "But then suddenly the holy light enveloped him and the sword came into his hand. That's when he started speaking like that. Like he wasn't... himself."
I stared at him in confusion. How could I have said all that and not remember any of it?
For a moment, Aria was silent, her face carefully neutral as she processed this. But her eyes—there was something there. Concern. Maybe even worry.
"If the holy sword acted like that..." she started slowly, then trailed off. Her hands clenched slightly in her lap.
She took a breath, seeming to gather her thoughts. "I initially thought to train you both in the basics and use mercenaries to carve a path until you two learned to fight properly. But you both exceeded my expectations, so I thought we could manage."
She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was measured but strained. "But now we have this situation. Something I don't understand."
Her face remained neutral, professional even. But her eyes gave away everything she was trying to hide.
She was worried. Really worried.
"I need to look into this," she said finally, standing up. "The holy library might have information about... this kind of thing."
"You're going now?" Grey asked.
"Yes. The sooner I find answers, the better." She moved toward the door, then stopped and looked back at us. "Take rest today. We'll figure this out."
She left, her footsteps quick and purposeful in the hallway outside.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
Now it was just me and Grey, sitting in the heavy silence she'd left behind.
Grey looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. I couldn't either.
Synchronization. Neutralization. Speaking like someone else.
What did it all mean?
And why couldn't I remember any of it?
The questions sat heavy in my chest, unanswered. But they would have to wait—for now, at least.
I glanced at the door Aria had left through, her quick footsteps still echoing faintly in my mind. If anyone could find answers, it would be her. She always did.
***
We went to bed early yesterday. Sister Helen had brought us food, and after eating, sleep came fast. We were already exhausted beyond our limits.
When I woke up, the ache in my muscles was gone. My body felt lighter, refreshed—like the exhaustion had been wrung out of me completely. Even my mind felt clearer, sharper than it had in days. The rest had done exactly what we needed.
As usual, we readied ourselves for the training session—and for whatever answers Aria might have found. But she didn't come back. Not even after two hours of waiting.
"Grey, let's go to the training grounds. She might be there, waiting for us."
"Yeah, she should be," he said.
So we walked toward the training ground, but we weren't expecting what we found there.
"That bandit guy! What's he doing here?" Grey's voice was sharp with annoyance.
Boraz noticed us and waved his hands enthusiastically. "Hey kiddos!"
Heat crept up my neck. I smiled awkwardly, sweat forming at my temple as I rubbed the back of my head.
Not knowing what else to do, we moved hesitantly toward him, my shoulders tensing with each step.
"So, why are you here? Didn't you go home yesterday or what?" Grey didn't bother hiding his irritation.
"I helped organize the supplies, then they offered me some food. I ate my fill, and it was already late, so I stayed in one of the homes." He gestured vaguely toward the residential area.
"There's only the wall of the training ground—the residential area is on the other side, you bulk-bandit-punk!" Grey's tone had shifted to something almost teasing.
"Your anger's not down yet, Grey boy?" Boraz's shoulders sagged. "I already told you—we were used by that demon. We meant no harm."
"Oh! Looting supplies isn't harm? Then what is it, social service or something?"
The words hit Boraz like a physical blow. His hands drooped at his sides, his whole body seeming to deflate. "Kid, I'm sorry. Okay? We were desperate. The holy land supplies were the only way to catch the king's attention. We had no other choice." His eyes showed genuine sincerity—no trace of the cocky bandit from before.
"Hey Grey, give him a chance. He doesn't look like a real bad person." I stepped forward slightly, trying to soften my friend's stance.
Grey sighed, his shoulders dropping. "Yeah, yeah... hit me where it hurts... but you should know one thing, Boraz or whatever—begging is better than stealing."
"Okay, okay. I understand." Boraz raised his hands defensively, palms out.
I turned to him, curiosity getting the better of me. "So why are you here?"
Boraz's face lit up, a grin spreading across it. "I'm the one who's going to help with your training today."
My jaw went slack. "Hah?"
Grey's voice overlapped mine in perfect unison, and I could feel my eyebrows shoot up so high they might've left my face entirely.