**Chapter 132 – After the Limit**
Elowen didn't wake up on the way back.
Kuroe and Astrid carried her between the two of them, careful not to worsen the broken arm. The blood had already decreased a little after the constant pressure, but her breathing continued far too shallow for anyone's taste. Her eyes remained closed. Not a single thread of consciousness.
— She's very light — Astrid murmured.
— Because she lost too much blood — Kuroe answered. — Stay quiet and walk.
— I am walking — Astrid retorted. — I'm just commenting.
— Comment less and hold better.
Harley walked beside them, hands in her pockets, her humor clearly cut short.
— Idiot.
— You already said that — Rina commented.
— I'm going to keep saying it. She almost died in the middle of the tunnel and still had the guts to stay standing until the end.
— That's why we let her — Marina said. — To see how far she would go.
— I know. I still think it's idiotic.
Joker walked a little ahead, clearing the path.
— The mark pushed her far — Lirien said, observing Elowen's blank face. — Far too far for the body to keep up all at once.
— That was what we wanted to know — Joker answered. — Now we know.
— And if she doesn't wake up soon? — Marina asked.
— Then we take care of her until she wakes up — Harley said. — Simple.
— Simple for you to say — Rina murmured.
— To do too. We're not going to leave her in the room and pretend it's over.
No one contested it. Even so, the silence that followed was heavy.
---
They didn't return straight to the academy.
First they passed by the capital's guild only long enough to confirm the mission and deliver the proof. Nara looked at Elowen's state, looked at Joker, and for the first time made no joke at all.
— Rank B confirmed — she said dryly. — Take that girl away before I ask what you did.
— We're already going — Harley answered.
— You should — Tessa completed from the side. — Because from the look of her, I really don't want to know about the middle of the path.
— Better that way — Joker said.
They didn't sell anything at that moment. There was no patience for it. The subspace remained closed with the rest of the material, and the group left quickly.
On the street, Joker stopped.
— Not here. Away from eyes.
He opened a discreet space between two alleys and pulled the group into a more closed-off point. There, they could finally stop for real.
Kuroe knelt on the ground with Elowen supported against her. The girl's body continued completely out.
— Broken arm. Deep cut on the shoulder. Bad ribs. Blood loss — Kuroe listed, without too much emotion. — She went down to the bone.
— Literally — Astrid murmured.
Sylvara approached without saying anything at first. She knelt on the other side, placed her open hands above the worst wounds, and a soft green glow began to rise between her fingers.
— I'll close what's serious — she said low. — The rest her body will handle with time.
— Can you handle doing both sides? — Marina asked.
— I can. Just don't talk right now.
The glow spread first over the deep cut on the shoulder. The flesh closed slowly, still ugly, still sensitive, but no longer bleeding. Then the ribs. The glow didn't fix everything like perfect magic — it only pulled the worst back into a stable state. The broken arm she didn't force. She only immobilized it enough not to worsen.
— Done — Sylvara murmured, a little pale. — That's what I can do now. The rest is rest.
— Are you okay? — Lirien asked.
— Tired. It's nothing.
— It's something — Rina retorted. — Sit after.
Marina had already taken cloths and bandages from the subspace. Rina helped hold. In a few minutes, Elowen's shoulder, torso and arm were well protected. She continued unconscious. The breathing, at least, had become a little less fragile.
— She's not waking up now — Lirien said, observing the weak flow of her energy. — The body shut off for real.
— How long? — Astrid asked.
Lirien shook her head.
— Can't tell properly. It could be hours… or days. The strain went too deep.
— Then we treat it as if it's going to take time — Kuroe said.
— Exactly — Harley confirmed. — Rotation. Someone stays with her the whole time. No discussion.
— I'll take the first shift — Kuroe said.
— I'll take the next — Astrid completed.
— Me after — Marina said.
— I'll go after Marina — Rina said.
— Me too — Sylvara said. — Even tired.
— I'll take the late night if needed — Lirien completed.
Harley looked at the group and let out a breath.
— Then it's settled. No one leaves her alone.
— And if the adults want to interfere? — Astrid asked.
— Let them — Joker answered. — They can stay worried. They just won't take us away from her.
He observed Elowen's blank face for a moment.
— The mark pushed you. Your power evolved in the middle of the fight. And you kept getting stronger even while breaking. That's good.
— And bad — Kuroe completed.
— And bad — he agreed. — Because she has no brake at all.
Harley ran a hand through her hair.
— When she wakes up, we argue with her. Right now we just make sure she wakes up.
— I agree — Marina said. — First she comes back. Then we scold.
— In that order — Rina confirmed.
No one disagreed.
---
When they finally returned to the academy, the sun was already much lower.
Elowen remained unconscious, carried carefully between Kuroe and Astrid. The body covered enough to hide the worst. Even so, it was impossible to disguise that she had gone through something heavy.
Lysithea was the first to see them.
Her expression changed in the same instant.
— What happened?
Graciela appeared right behind, followed by Mirella and Elara.
— I knew it — Graciela grumbled. — I knew Sunday wasn't going to be a quiet walk.
— What did you do? — Mirella asked, already looking straight at Elowen's state.
Joker didn't stall.
— Rank B mission. She went alone to the limit. Killed the matriarch. Then passed out. We finished the rest. Sylvara closed what was serious. Now she needs time.
Lysithea looked at Elowen, her gaze passing over the immobilized arm, the pallor, the far too careful way they were still carrying her.
— You let her reach that state.
— We did — Joker confirmed. — That was the agreement.
— Agreement with whom? — Elara asked.
— With her — Harley answered. — She wanted it. We let her. And she went all the way.
— And how long is she going to stay like this? — Lysithea asked.
Lirien answered with honesty:
— Can't say for sure. The body shut off deep. It could take days for her to come back.
— Days — Graciela repeated. — You really have no brake at all.
— She doesn't — Kuroe corrected. — We just followed.
Elara approached, observing Elowen's unconscious face with more care.
— Take her to the room. Now.
— We're already going — Kuroe said.
— And you're going to stay with her — Lysithea completed. It wasn't a request. It was an order.
— We will — Harley confirmed. — We already organized the rotation.
Mirella ran a hand through her hair, more tired than angry.
— One of these days I want to spend a weekend without thinking someone almost died.
— Us too — Astrid answered. — It's just not the group's strong suit.
— That wasn't funny.
— It also wasn't a lie.
Lysithea still looked ready to continue the conversation. Even so, she looked at Elowen one more time and simply nodded, contained.
— Go. We'll talk to them later.
The group moved. Elowen was taken carefully away from the courtyard, still completely out, still surrounded by them.
Behind them, the four adults stayed standing, looking in the direction the group disappeared.
— They're going to take care of her — Elara murmured.
— They will — Mirella answered. — That's what makes me less worried… and at the same time more.
Graciela huffed.
— I just want that girl to wake up. After that I'll scold the rest calmly.
— In that order — Lysithea said, almost without humor. — First she comes back. Then we collect the bill.
Sunday was ending.
And for the second time in the same weekend, someone had been pushed to the limit — and now the rest of the group would carry the weight of taking care of what came after.
**End of Chapter 132**