Eclipse | COTE x Danmachi

Chapter 6 (Tomato Boy)

An unsettling sound. 

Like a creaking wooden floor. 

I could feel at the tip of my finger, and then it was gone, like a whisper of distant past. 

A persuasive scuttlebutt in my ear, slowly murmured by a specter. 

I can hardly tell what it was. But whatever it—the voice—was, it helped me split the magic that I had performed, change its nature. 

My eyes flickered open, groggily, and the world came into focus with a reluctant clarity. 

The first thing that assaulted my senses was the lingering scent of sweat and the metallic tang of blood. A grueling spar, that much I could recall. The pain, however, was a different story altogether. 

It was a prickling sensation, as if a thousand needles had been pressed into my skin, each one throbbing with a life of its own. The discomfort felt timeless, as if I had been wounded years ago, and yet, it was unmistakably fresh. Recent.

As awareness seeped back into my consciousness, I became acutely aware of the dull ache that resonated from every inch of my body. 

I didn't dwell on the pain; I merely acknowledged its existence as a natural consequence of my chosen path. To get stronger. Fast.

Blinking against the harshness of the light, I shifted my gaze across the room. 

The surroundings were vaguely familiar. The warm and soft surface beneath me offered little comfort, but I remained unmoved. Physical discomfort was inconsequential compared to the numbness that encapsulated my psyche like a coiling snake.

And then, my focus sharpened on the figure beside me. 

A silhouette.

Long, jade-coloured hair that cascaded down like a curtain, obscuring the features of her face. It took a moment for recognition to dawn on me like the break of dawn. 

Riveria. My sister. 

Riveria sat there, the soft touch of her fingertips cradling my forehead, her brow furrowed with concern. Her emerald eyes, normally sharp and vibrant, were dulled. As my gaze met hers, there was a subtle shift in her expression, a mix of relief and something more... cryptic.

It is always fascinating to observe how people—with no former bond—act so kind and concerned towards each other. The phenomenon was restricted to mostly family members. However, the curiosity still lingers like morning mist around the question—why?

"Finally decided to join the waking world?" Her voice, sliced through the air with a rather sweet, melodic cadence. 

I didn't respond. 

The question remained as to why someone would act kind and so prepossessed towards anyone who had just met them. But despite the intriguing question—although not clearly—I could feel it. 

In this overresponsive body. 

And hence, I didn't answer her question at all. Words felt unnecessary, a superfluous addition to this "something" we shared as siblings.

The sheets above my rustled, and the dull, throbbing pain clawed at the edges of my consciousness. 

With deliberate slowness, I shifted my body. Slowly, the pain continued to drift away, in tandem with the green light enveloping my body from where Riveria's hand touched my skin.

"Why is my shirt gone?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Your torso was bleeding. Or so I was told." Her eyes never shifted from her spell.