Chapter 355: The eyes are windows into the soul

Kellen’s head was pounding, his body chilled and shivering as he collapsed to the floor in the second office.

He’d managed to get this bomb dealt with in a timely fashion, but he had not counted for how draining using his Esper powers were. Because he’d never done it before.

Like Rhys, Kellen had been using them passively only his eyes hadn’t glowed yellow. His magic usage had been so low that it hadn’t bothered him. But this?

Kellen had underestimated how much it would take out of him, and part of that had to be because he didn’t know that his guiding powers would not turn off as he used his Esper powers. That hadn’t even been something he had considered.

Using two powers at once? How was his body going to handle that? If he didn’t have over exertion after that, he’d never have it again.

So he was truly working on a ticking bomb, and that bomb was his damn body. If only he was like Rhys and could reset himself, but then again he was the one guiding himself. A fricking double edged sword.

Kellen laughed at himself, pushing his soaked with sweat hair out of his face. He was sliding his other hand into his backpack, reaching for the last of the drinks he had before he had to start chewing jerky when he heard familiar voices.

"I swear to whatever god he believes in, I’m going to wring that damn Guide’s neck when I see him! Slipping away right now of all times? We have no idea where he-" the door to the office he was in slammed open, the woman on the other side clearly not caring about the bomb inside at this point.

Kellen wondered how many times they had wandered the halls before now, but boy was he glad to see them.

Esper Denvers looked stunned to see an exhausted Kellen, sweating buckets, without his eye patch on and resting against the wall of the office. The desk was shoved to the side and a pile of dust was on the floor. His gloved hands were clearly covered in dust as well, but even with her mind going a mile a minute, there was no way she could deduce what exactly had happened here.

"Guide Woods?" She exclaimed, and one second it was just her, the next second the Healer with them was shoving her out of the way. Esper Denvers seemed surprised by the strength of the fellow Esper, but after she took in the state that Kellen was in, she paled slightly and turned. She shut the door behind her, leaving Kellen alone with the Healer and began barking orders at the others. Kellen wondered what she saw, but his attention was drawn to the Healer.

"How are you feeling?" The Healer asked, his expression serious as he crouched down. "I’ve also been informed by Lieutenant Dickenson of your condition, Guide Woods, so please be honest." He lowered his voice, speaking at a volume that even an A Class wouldn’t be able to hear.

Kellen let out a dry laugh.

"Well, I’ve found out some things about myself that are going to prove problematic in the future, but I’ll be okay." Kellen told him with a smile. He didn’t seem to like that.

"Please explain, so that I can help." He said, his eyes going green. Kellen chuckled.

"I’ve over exerted myself. There was no other way to go about it, and honestly, I’d do it again. I’ll need calorie replacements. No one is going to want to look at me under my clothes otherwise." Kellen told him. He couldn’t tell him more, but from the grim look on his face, he agreed.

He turned to the bags that he’d brought with him and ruffled through the smaller, but densely packed bag. When Kellen caught a glimpse inside he noticed it was all dense caloric foods. Kellen laughed.

"Oh dear. It appears I’m well known." Kellen muttered with a chuckle. The Healer didn’t look amused and he was giving Kellen several food items when the door opened again to the room.

Esper Denvers entered, her expression grim.

"Guide Woods, where is your eye patch?" She asked quietly. Kellen didn’t understand why she was asking about that, but he patted his pant pocket with a grin.

"Here. It was getting in the way." Kellen told her happily, and that alone was a sign that Kellen had pushed himself too far. He needed to continue though. He knew that he was the only one who could do this.

Esper Denvers stared at him, then turned to the Healer.

"Is he okay?" She asked and the Healer hesitated for a second.

"He...is, just, over exerted, low on calories, and a ticking bomb of his own making." Esper Denvers raised her hand, pressing the fleshy palm of her hand against her forehead and groaning. Kellen could feel her frustration from here, and he got it. He did, but....

"I’m not retreating." Kellen told her in between one drink and the next. She snapped her head up, ready to yell at him when Kellen leveled her with a serious look. "How many times did you loop?" He asked.

That shut her up.

Her mouth firmed into a thin line. It looked like she wanted to argue, she really did, but what could she say? Kellen was right. He had done what he said he wouldn’t do, what he had promised, and in the time that he had done so he had broken the loop that they had been in. She was pissed, but there was nothing she could say.

"You’re not going alone." She argued finally, and Kellen let out an amused laugh.

"I can’t have anyone with me." Kellen told her, a knowing in his gut, stronger than he’d felt before. She scowled.

"Guide Woods-"

"Are you going to trust me, or are you going to be stubborn and believe that I am incapable?" He asked. She groaned.

"This has nothing to do with if I think you are capable or not, Guide Woods, and everything to do with the fact that you need support during whatever the hell you are doing!" She shouted. Kellen blinked.

"I’m not like the others, I barely know what I’m doing, and if I could do it around others, I would have done it already." Kellen told her plainly. He watched her face scrunch up in annoyance, before she turned and punched the wall. Kellen flinched as the wall literally flexed, bending under her power, before she huffed.

"Fuck this. Fine. But you’re not allowed to leave till he says so." She said, turning and jabbing a finger towards the Healer. Kellen nodded as she yanked the door open and slammed it behind her. Kellen watched the emotional act in surprise, turning towards the Healer.

"Is she alright?" Kellen asked and the Healer gave a soft chuckle as he kept handing Kellen his calorie tense drinks.

"Guide Woods, we’ve looped 15 times after we lost you. I doubt you would be yourself if you were with us as well." He said, his green eyes scanning Kellen tensely. Kellen, for his part, felt sympathy for her.

They had both gone through something intense, and honestly? If Kellen had energy to spare he’d punch a wall too.

Instead, he sighed and accepted the opened drinks, pouring them into his body. He felt the energy reach through his body like long, thin twigs, pumping his body full of the fuel he’d used up.

"How long do you think you have before you begin showing signs?" He asked quietly. Kellen paused, trying to think back to how long he had before, and he shook his head.

"We’ll see." He said, smiling, and that didn’t seem to soothe the Healer.

When Kellen finally left the room, he was relatively stable on his feet and the Healer trailed him like he was worried he was going to fall over with a gentle breeze. Kellen did feel better, and he didn’t feel as goofy as he had felt when he first saw them.

He finally got to see the rest of the team face to face as well, and they looked...shocked. Kellen didn’t understand why until the Flying Esper Denvers approached, her own expression rather pale and severe.

"Guide Woods, your...your eyes are different colours." She said carefully. Kellen blinked.

"Well, of course they are. One of them is damaged." Kellen said, but she didn’t seem convinced.

"No, Guide Woods. Your one eye is blue, which I assume is normal, but your other eye? It’s yellow, like Captain Thatcher’s eyes." She explained. Kellen stared at her, letting the words wash over him and slowly nodded. It made perfect sense.

"Well, it is what it is." Kellen said, not explaining anything further. Esper Denvers snorted, watching Kellen with a rather sour expression on her face, but he knew that if something happened she would be there for Kellen in a heartbeat. "So, should I try descending now, or are we going to try to go up a floor first?" Kellen asked.

Kellen watched her glower at him, but Kellen felt like he was rejuvenating just being around her. He wished that he could be around others when he was using his powers, but it wasn’t in the cards.

"We’ll go up, and then you’ll go back. To see if we’re out of the loop." She explained. Kellen gave a nod, following her orders, and she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Now you listen to me." She muttered darkly, and Kellen held his tongue. Even if his cough did sound suspiciously like a laugh.