Titan Academy of Special Abilities Chapter 73

Chapter 72: Let Go (1)

Gin let out a groan as Luna tended to his wound. While looking at his slightly opened eyes, I watched as he gritted his teeth and his breaths got heavier each moment while keeping himself from cursing out.

"Even just for a single day, Captain. Let your body rest for today," Luna told him.

I noticed the slight trembling of Luna's hand as she spoke, this was the first time she saw Gin with severe injuries like this.

Suddenly standing, I told them that I will just be going outside. Hearing this, Luna twisted her head to my direction but she didn't say anything. I parted the creeping vines ahead of me and stepped out. I was greeted by the cold forest breeze.

It was Gin who brought us to this place, it was about a kilometer away from the place where Luna and I slept previously. It's a cave-like s.p.a.ce between dense trees and two large stones in where Gin rested the whole night before we meet each other today.

I sat on the fallen log and heaved out a sigh. The memories from that dawn when I was caught inside an illusion—the scenes back that morning, all returned to me once again. Even now, I still can't settle my heart when I remember that time.

I really thought that Luna wasn't by my side when I woke up but the truth was that I was the one who left her. The deceiver from Kimmye had put me under the illusion when I woke up in the middle of the night. I woke up inside it around dawn, though, and then walked along the forest without knowing the sitch myself. It was like sleepwalking, a very long nightmare while walking in the dark. But the mist, the smoke, even Ethan and the rest of the group were all an illusion.

I walked endlessly inside the forest. My mind was awake but it was in another reality, in another world. Until the illusion came to its peak(?). Luna said that deceiver are p.r.o.ne to people like me. People with unsettled emotions. The deceiver used my memories… The group… Gin…

Luna was right. I almost stayed. In the midst of the illusion, I doubted the situation a lot of times. I saw the flaw in the deceiver's technique. But I almost— no, I desired to stay. Not knowing I already reached the real Gin.

The deceiver didn't expect that the process would take a long time. He can't make several people undergo the same trick simultaneously. He tried on forcing me to stay. He used all of my important memories, but he certainly didn't expect that it will take me to the place where our Captain was located. Gin felt our arrival and he finished all that must end.

It took me hours before I extracted myself from the illusion. I can't stomach remembering all that had happened within it, but if there's one thing that sh*t left me with, it was the emotions. The deep longing, the sadness of having something so perfect that just shuttered, the unfairness of having to wake up and go through it all again. It's like waking up from a lovely dream to discover that reality is the nightmare.

And this is the nightmare. I sighed and stood from the log, looking at Gin from a few meters away from me. Almost an entire day had pa.s.sed since we met but his condition was yet to improve. At first, I didn't notice, how frail he was, how he almost can't stand due to his numerous wounds.

He had deep wounds that came not only from the enemies he fought, but also from his own ability. Some wounds were even untended and wasn't at least taken notice for several days. Luna said that Gin's body was almost at its limit. His own power was eating his body. I know him. Gin knows his limit. I know that he will stop when needed… But Gin used what was left of his strength to save me. And thus the consequence.

I took a deep breath. This is not what supposed to happen. This is not in my plan. I started walking around the area. I still need to focus.

Several days have pa.s.sed and we didn't have any single clue on what was happening in the arena. We've pa.s.sed the one week mark. Most of the preceding games only lasted for a week.

We were only few kilometers away from the center of the arena where the cartridges are seen. Those will be activated when the countdown starts and during this time, the remaining partic.i.p.ants in the arena will surely head toward that place. Wherever Ethan, Cain and Victoria might be, they will definitely head toward that pace too. I just hope that they've met, already with each other's company.

This is the phase where lesser is fatal. We're all heading to the same direction and we can't do anything other than eliminating whoever we encounter. Every point has become more significant and the group with the highest gathered points will be the sure target. It will be known as to which group was leading when the countdown starts and every other group will not let the leading one to secure its hold because it will surely be the end of the game when that happens.

Game over. A bitter smile flashed my lips. It's already clear to me as to how this game will end.

But now, Gin and Luna needed me. The three of us were traveling together but we're in a vulnerable position due to the previous attack. Even Luna needed to rest. We could not afford another attack. Not yet. We needed time to recover. Especially Gin. We needed to be careful and to distance ourselves from movements that can lead to our location.

"Shia?"

I suddenly turned around when I heard Luna's voice. She walked towards me, putting aside the low branches on her way before she reached me.

"H-how about Gin?" I asked. "Why did you leave him?"

Luna blinked, as if surprised by my reaction. "He fell asleep," she answered. "Shia, I need to leave."

I froze. "Leave?"

"My supply of herbs are already depleted and Captain's condition still hasn't change." I noticed the tiredness and worry in her eyes. "Captain's fever is very high. I don't know if this is natural or if it's caused by his ability. This ability is seemingly consuming his body bit by bit. Captain's wound are bleeding nonstop. His body needs to be treated so that his control can return.”

I almost felt my strength leaving me because of what I have heard. "But it's soon dusk, it's very dangerous. If you want, let me—"

"I need Betony or woundwort to speed up the healing of the cuts. And barks of Cinchona Tree and extracts of Arborvitae for Captain's fever," she said as she looked at me. "Are you familiar with the plants I said?"

Stunned, I shook my head left and right.

Luna gave me a rea.s.suring smile. "Shia, I will be fine," she said. "All herbs that I mentioned were the ones I used on you when you were in danger. I will return to the path we took so don't worry."

"But—"

"We are team Hesperia. We're born to survive this sh*t, remember?" I blinked at what she said. Did Luna just curse?

She immediately caught herself. "I mean—oh well. When we return, don't tell Dad."

Despite the situation, my lips formed a smile but this immediately disappeared.

When we return? But what if this is already my last stop, Luna?

I felt uncertain. But in the end, I let Luna do what she planned. She promised to come back before dark, though. But if it took her long, she said I should not worry or panic until her number on my wrist disappeared. Luna knew me so d.a.m.n well. But I can not help feeling weak when I thought I will never see her anymore.

I returned to the place where Gin was resting. I went inside, parting the vines covering the area. I saw Gin leaning against the stone wall with his eyes closed.

His head was slightly tilted upwards, his sharp jaw clenched, breathing ragged and deep, as if enduring the searing pain of his whole body while sleeping.

I sat beside him and watched him. In front of me was the man I've grown to love. The man who can sacrifice everything for me. He was right all along. Back in t.i.tan Academy when he asked me, begged me to hear those words from me—even against all my denial, I knew I was only deceiving myself.

I'm in love with Gin.