In the pitch-black darkness, Theo stood alone. He couldn't feel the floor beneath his feet, as if his body were floating in a boundless void. But slowly, the piercing cold faded, replaced by a faint warmth coming from nowhere. He clutched his chest, trying to find a source of light or direction, but there was nothing—only pure darkness.
"Where… am I?" he muttered softly, his voice echoing without reflection.
His eyes tried to pierce through the dark, but there was no light, no other sound except the slow but steady beating of his own heart. In that silence, his mind began to recall what had happened—a sudden attack, the pain, his body being thrown, and then everything disappeared.
Theo clenched his teeth, angry and frustrated. "Damn it… that man cheated…"
He tightened his fists in helpless rage. "I couldn't even dodge… am I really that weak…?"
He exhaled deeply, bowing his head in emptiness. The most painful thing wasn't the wounds on his body, but the fact that he couldn't protect the person he cared about most—Alvano. "I'm sorry… Van…"
The voice echoed softly through the silence. He closed his eyes, wishing he could wake up, wishing this was just a nightmare.
But there was only darkness—and himself, still waiting. Waiting for the light to come and take him back.
Theo froze when suddenly something began to spread around him. From the once cold, empty void, a current of energy emerged, something beyond explanation. It started faintly, like a soft breeze brushing his skin, but gradually became more real and warm—soothing, wrapping around his body and soul.
"What… is this?" he whispered quietly, his eyes staring blankly ahead, trying to find where the energy came from.
The energy flowed gently, seeping into him, as if embracing him in an invisible hug. The emotions that had been filled with frustration, anger, and guilt slowly began to fade. His heart grew calm, as though the deep wounds inside him were being healed by something unseen.
"This feeling… why is it so peaceful?" he murmured, staring at his hands, which now felt solid again, as if he had just regained his body after floating shapeless for so long.
Suddenly, from the center of the void, a single glowing thread appeared—soft, as if woven from pure, delicate light. The thread floated, then touched his fingertips, slowly wrapping and weaving around his fingers one by one.
"What is this…?" Theo stared in awe, his body seemingly hypnotized by the beauty of that light.
The thread of light continued to wind around him, wrapping his wrists, then his arms, his legs, his body, until it finally reached his head. Once it was done, his body felt whole again—not just his body, but also his mind, his emotions, and the spirit that had nearly faded away.
The warmth pierced deep into the core of his soul. It felt as though his entire being was being repaired, reassembled, even reborn.
"Is this… some kind of… rebirth?" he thought to himself. He wrapped his arms around his body, feeling as if he had just returned from the edge of destruction.
But in the middle of that comfort, one question refused to leave his mind.
"Who… or what… is doing this to me?"
No answer came, only the gentle glow of light continuing to embrace him.
But one thing he knew for certain—this wasn't the end. Something was happening inside him. Something he didn't yet understand, but that would change everything.
The ICU remained quiet as the clock struck four in the morning. The white fluorescent lights illuminated every corner of the cold, sterile room; the only sound came from the steady rhythm of the heart monitor. A young nurse entered with light steps, a clipboard in her left hand and an instrument in her right. She sighed softly, fighting off the drowsiness that had haunted her all night.
As usual, she began by checking the patient's vital signs. But her brows furrowed instantly when she saw the numbers on the screen. The heartbeat that had been steady now showed irregular rhythms. The lines that were supposed to move calmly now jumped wildly, like small waves in chaos. The other machines started emitting a soft but alarming sound—the beeping shifting in frequency, signaling something unusual in the patient's condition.
The nurse froze for several seconds, trying to comprehend the change. But a strange feeling began to creep into her chest. She glanced at Theo's motionless body—but somehow, the air around him felt different. More alive. Warmer.
"Could it be… some spirit's doing?" she muttered with a trembling voice, her body stiff with fear.
Then something happened that almost stopped her heart—Theo's eyelids slowly fluttered open. His eyes squinted slightly, adjusting to the harsh light piercing his vision. He inhaled deeply, letting the antiseptic scent fill his lungs.
The familiar smell of the hospital snapped him out of the void he had been lost in.
"This is… a hospital?" Theo whispered, trying to sit up slowly. Strangely, there was no pain at all. No soreness from wounds, no weakness in his body. On the contrary, he felt incredibly light—as if his body had just been born anew.
The nurse's eyes widened in shock, nearly dropping the clipboard she was holding. "Oh my God, praise the Lord, protect me!!" she screamed in panic, seeing Theo rise and sit upright as if he had just come back from the dead.
Without thinking, she dashed out of the room, shouting, "Doctor! Call the doctor!! The patient's awake! He's awake!!"
Meanwhile, Theo could only stare in confusion at the terrified nurse fleeing as if she'd seen a ghost. He raised his hands, looking at his now steady fingers.
"Do I… look like a ghost?" he muttered softly, with a faint, bitter smile. He still didn't know that something extraordinary had awakened inside him.
Theo remained sitting on the hospital bed, his eyes blank but full of questions. The overhead light was blinding, but his mind was far louder than the glare. He lowered his gaze, examining himself—his hands, arms, legs. There wasn't a single trace of injury.
There should have been… bruises and cuts all over his body from that brutal beating by the man in the black jacket. He even remembered seeing his own blood, his face hit hard. But now? Not a single bruise. Not even a hint of pain remained.
"This… doesn't make sense," he whispered, staring at his hands in deep confusion. He touched his cheek, his neck, then checked his chest and stomach. Everything felt normal. Too normal.
He tried to stand, but before his feet touched the floor, his head suddenly throbbed violently. It felt like something was forcing its way into his mind. He groaned softly, clutching his temples tightly.
"Argh… what is this…?" he gasped, his breathing quickening.
Inside his head, flashes of light and unfamiliar shadows danced rapidly—impossible to understand, yet vividly real. It was as if his brain was trying to process information that didn't belong to him.
Moments later, the door burst open. The same nurse rushed back in, this time accompanied by a middle-aged doctor responsible for Theo's case. They hurried in with panicked faces—but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Theo already sitting upright on the bed.
"The patient… is conscious?!" the doctor exclaimed, visibly shocked.
"Not just conscious…" the nurse said quietly, "…he looks… perfectly fine."
The doctor immediately approached, grabbing his stethoscope and beginning an examination. He placed the instrument on Theo's chest, checked his blood pressure, heartbeat, eye reflexes, even his hand and leg movements.
"Everything… normal…" the doctor murmured, still in disbelief. "No signs of trauma… not even damaged tissue."
"Doctor, do you mean… I'm completely healed?" Theo asked in a faint voice.
The doctor could only nod, shaking his head in astonishment. "If I didn't have your medical records, I'd think you were just taking a nap here."
Theo fell silent. His gaze returned to his hands—this time, more serious.
"What exactly… happened to me?" he whispered to himself.