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The monitor beeped for the umpteenth time, lulling the No. 4 adventurer to sleep gradually after having heard the sound for a long time. The metronome of Hank’s—no, Hansika’s—heart remained in her consciousness even as her eyelids began to flutter, as if she had trained her mind to keep a close watch on it even when she was exhausted after all that had happened.
Marie was worried. She had been since Hansika informed her about her decision to remain near the Giant whale lest the Shark Riders decided to launch another offensive on Queen Mermaid Yanasha’s clan. Marie knew for one that the Shark Riders acted as the underwater arms and legs of the Sky Demon—and she certainly did not miss the part where the leader of the Shark Riders had outrightly threatened that Akhator would come for their heads.
The crew of the Mothership, the mermaids, the Giant Whale, Hansika—their lives were all at risk.
And Hansika had accepted the risk head-on. Perhaps, Marie thought, Hansika had only considered that she would be facing Shark Riders, and believed that the chances of Akhator actually showing up was rather low. Shark riders, she could definitely handle. They were lackeys at best, and Hansika wasn’t called the No. 3 for nothing. Rounding them up was nothing more than a warm-up for someone of her level. But then again, as absentminded as Hansika could be sometimes, she definitely was not clueless. To cut off the arms and legs of the Sky Demon would be tantamount to challenging him head-on, and it was indeed what Hansika did, alone, when Marie was a good continent away.
Then Akhator had shown the Ancient Mariner no mercy. With otherworldly strength the alien had pierced through her suit, and dealt an unforgiving blow to Hansika. The medical report that Marie overheard from the surgeons led her to believe that in that moment when Akhator had struck, Lady Luck had truly extended a hand to Hansika. The doctors told Marie that through moments of consciousness, Hansika had permitted her entrance to the visiting room.
The relief Marie felt when she saw the former was comparable to the joy she experienced when Luna had first come back to her during the Himalayan Mountains expedition. Hansika, eyes shut with a duvet draped over half her body, was resting. Frankly, if not for the repeated sounds from the monitor and the slight rise and fall of her chest, Hansika could have passed for a dead person. Her face was pale, and Marie credited that to the severity of her injuries.
She still found herself in disbelief. Hansika was strong—she always had been, both mentally and physically. Dealing with her parents’ deaths hadn’t been easy, even with a loyal butler and friend by her side. Hansika, even in her teenage years, never faltered, and Marie first came to know her during a joint expedition when they were both novices. Marie hadn’t known Hansika back then, only ‘Hank’. ‘Hank’ was strong, and there was no doubt about it. Even though ‘Hank’ specialised in aquatic environments, he wasn’t shabby on land, and Marie admired that. Hansika’s mental and physical fortitude had shone through, and perhaps Marie herself had been illusioned that once they were strong and high in the adventurer rankings, they were invincible.
Perhaps Hansika had thought that way too, and led to her current condition. Marie had no doubt that the No.3 would recover swiftly, but still, the grimness on the doctors’ faces, their whitening knuckles around their tablets that showed Hansika’s condition, and their clipped tones had induced a sense of fear in Marie.
A fear that made her realise that after all, they were still simply mortal, while the Sky Demon—Akhator—was not.
“Marie,” a voice from the figure before her called out, weakly, like a whisper that Marie could have easily imagined. The woman jolted from her thoughts instantly, and locked eyes with Hansika’s lidded ones. Immediately a surge of emotion coursed through her and she leaned forward abruptly, clutching the edge of the bed as she began, voice trembling, “Hank…Hansika, thank god—how are you feeling?”
The rubber mask fogs up when Hansika opens her mouth to speak again, “…I’m fine…now. How…are you?”
“You idiot, you call that fine?”
Despite the bite in her tone, Hansika didn’t flinch, merely responding with the crinkling of the corner of her eyes. Marie couldn’t quite see her fragile smile through the condensation on the mask, but she could certainly imagine it. She found herself fighting back a growing grin, her heart brimming with relief as Hansika’s hand reached out from under the covers to give Marie’s a light squeeze.
“I’m alive, and you’re here,” her action seemed to convey, “For now, I’ll call that fine.”
And Marie couldn’t help but return the gentle smile, tightening her grip on Hansika’s hand for a split second before letting go again. “You really made everyone worry, you know?” the brunette sighed, running her other hand through her curls, “Your butler has bags under his eyes, and your crew’s all jittery. You better get well soon.”
Hansika laughed, a light, muffled sound, though a pained noise soon followed after as the chuckle turned into a sharp wheeze. “Happens,” she explained through stabilising breaths when Marie’s eyes widened with concern, “The… No.1 got me good.”
A grim expression settled on Marie’s face as she was reminded of what Hansika had gone through, and she pulled the covers further up around the latter, earning a confused look from her.
“Rest, for now. Don’t worry too much, the Adventurers won’t let Akhator get his way. President Robert is making arrangements within the ranks and keeping a close eye on Akhator’s movements through reports—things are starting to move along.”
And after a beat, Marie’s tone softened, “And don’t blame yourself, Hansika. He’s unlike any being we’ve faced before as adventurers—not only that, he harnesses powers that are far beyond our ability.”
The No. 4 adventurer stared into Hansika’s azure eyes which were following her every little movement, “I know little to no one who could have stopped, or at least, hindered him. So don’t be so harsh on yourself, really.”
Marie reached over to squeeze her hand once more in reassurance. She was glad to have the action gently reciprocated. Her gaze turned to the clock on the wall.
Standing up and brushing the stray strands from her face she explained, “There’s still some things I have to attend to, and I believe they’ll take a while. I’ll come visit once the meeting with the President is over.” Hansika acknowledged with a slight inclination of her head, the action creating a small rustling sound against the pillow.
“Take care,” The brunette murmured with one hand on the doorknob, not quite looking back into the room. She waited until she heard a muted “you too,” before finally shutting the door behind her, hearing it click as it automatically locked by itself.
Taking a deep breath, Marie set her adventurer’s cap firmly onto her head, and strode down the corridor without turning around, ignoring the urge to return to that little room at the end of the hallway just to see a familiar smile again.