Chapter 57: A Visit to Infirmary

Elara:

Pain was the first thing I felt when consciousness slowly returned.

It wasn’t one sharp pain but an ache that seemed to have settled everywhere at once - my head throbbed, my arms felt heavy, and my back hurt badly enough that even breathing too deeply made me wince.

My eyelids fluttered several times before I finally managed to open them, and for a few seconds I simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. Soft evening sunlight filtered through an open window somewhere to my left, painting pale golden patches across the ceiling and walls. The room looked strangely familiar despite the fact that I had never seen it before. The stone walls, the wooden furniture, the subtle magical lamps - it all carried the same unmistakable aesthetic as the rest of Moonveil Academy.

But there was something different about the air here. It was the scent of medicinal herbs mingled with fresh flowers, and beneath it was the faint, clean smell of something I couldn’t identify.

I slowly turned my head, immediately regretted it when another wave of pain pulsed through my skull, and finally noticed the bed beneath me. I was lying in what appeared to be an infirmary room.

Then my gaze shifted toward the chair beside my bed, and I froze. Esmeray Ashbourne was sitting there with his eyes closed, his head resting lightly against the back of the chair. For one moment, I stared at the peaceful look on his face. Then the memories came rushing back.

The combat class. Liliana. The fight. My first five credit points. Her attack after the match had already ended. The sudden explosion of warmth inside me. The collision. The wall. The metallic taste of blood. Then darkness.

I swallowed hard.

So that answered the question of where I was. Somehow, within three weeks of arriving at Moonveil, I had already managed to end up in the infirmary. At this rate, perhaps I should start collecting academy experiences like souvenirs.

I tried shifting higher against the pillow, but the movement sent a dull ache through my back. A small gasp escaped me before I could stop it.

Esmeray’s eyes opened instantly. The sleepy look vanished so quickly that I wondered if he had even been asleep in the first place. He leaned forward and immediately reached out to help me, one hand settling carefully behind my shoulders as he stopped me from forcing myself upright.

"Don’t," he said quietly. "You are still recovering."

I stared at him for a second before reluctantly settling back down.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

I considered the question honestly before answering, "Like I was thrown into a wall by a truck, run over by another truck, and then politely asked whether I’d like to do it again."

The corners of his lips twitched. It wasn’t quite a smile, but there was unmistakable amusement in his eyes. "That bad?"

"I’m trying to be optimistic."

His almost-smile deepened before he turned toward the door. "I’ll get a healer."

A woman who looked to be in her early thirties entered a few moments later, carrying a small wooden tray filled with glass bottles and herbs. She had her dark hair tied neatly at the back and wore the simple white-and-silver robes I assumed was the uniform.

"Miss Argentis," she greeted me with a respectful nod before approaching the bed. "I’m Healer Mira. How are you feeling?"

"Sore." I answered honestly.

She smiled. "That’s expected." She placed her palm a few inches above my forehead and whispered something under her breath. A faint greenish glow passed over me, moving from my head down toward my chest and arms before disappearing. I felt a strange tingling sensation beneath my skin.

She repeated the process near my ribs and then my back, occasionally frowning slightly as though reading something invisible.

"Your external injuries have almost completely healed," she finally said. "Your internal wounds are healing exceptionally quickly as well." She paused. "Much faster than I expected."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that unusual?"

"For someone without a wolf? Yes." Her gaze lingered on me for a moment before she smiled. "But considering who you are, I suppose unusual is becoming rather ordinary around you."

I wasn’t sure whether that was supposed to reassure me.

She asked a few more questions - whether I felt dizzy, whether I was nauseous, whether I could move my fingers and toes properly - and after checking me one last time, she nodded. "The remaining pain is simply the aftermath. Your body needs time to recover from the impact. I’ll prepare a restorative potion for you." With that, she left the room.

I stared after her for a moment before my thoughts returned to everything I had learned about Starfall’s medical system. I had read about it only a few days ago while wandering through the library.

Centuries ago, when the people of Starfall still possessed their wolves, their bodies had apparently been capable of remarkable self-healing. Losing their wolves had taken that ability from them. Now, healers served much the same purpose doctors did in the human world, except their knowledge involved both medicine and magic. They studied herbs extensively and could use their elemental abilities to enhance the natural healing properties of medicinal plants, allowing injuries to recover far faster than they would through ordinary treatment.

It was fascinating, really.

My gaze drifted toward Esmeray, who had returned to his chair and settled into it with his arms loosely crossed.

"How is Liliana?" I asked, recalling she too was thrown away by the clash of magic, though she clearly didn’t knock herself against a wall.

Esmeray didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at me. Not casually, either. He studied me for several seconds with an expression I couldn’t quite identify. It wasn’t in surprise or amusement. But something quieter, almost bewildered.

I frowned. "What?"

He finally shook his head. "You are weird, Elara."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

A faint smile appeared on his lips. "You are lying in an infirmary bed after Liliana attacked you with magic, and the first thing you are asking me is how she’s doing." His gaze softened slightly as he added, "You are worrying about the person who put you here."

I stared at him. Then I looked away.

Because the annoying part was that I didn’t actually know why I was asking either.