Miach POV

Bell had been in surgery for hours. I had lost count of how many after the sun had come up, but everyone was waiting.

News of what happened between him and Alfia spread like wildfire. Word in the street was Bell was dead. Of course, that wasn't true, for the time being.

Nazha had fallen asleep, her head in my lap with tear marks staining her face. Everyone else was almost similar, even us gods.

The door to Bell's room opened, and Airmid walked out. She looked exhausted but still kept a professional look on her face.

I gently laid Nazha down on the bench and stood up. "How is he," I asked.

Airmid looked around at those who were awake, making sure she had everyone's attention, then spoke.

"Mr Leywin is stable for now, he had major lacerations on his back as well as multiple holes from the Elderwood guardian, his nose was broken, and his lip was busted, his brain was bleeding, but I was able to stop it with help from his bond, his left arm was broken but seemed to have been fixed, his severed right arm I was able to reattach it, but he will have some nerve damage, I was able to patch up his abdomen wound, but I'm afraid it will scar, and his mental state, I have no idea about" she explained.

Everyone who was still awake just digested the information. Bell was knocking on death's door, and knowing him, he was banging on it.

"Is he going to die, Airmid" Astraea asked.

A glum look appeared on her face. "Right now, he's in a coma, his bond is keeping him alive, but his chances aren't high, his mana core was also severely damaged but not broken, I'd say he has a 20-30 percent chance at survival"

Welf punched the wall and let out a curse before storming off. Zald followed him to make sure he'd stay out of trouble.

"Airmid, can I see him," I asked, I had an idea. She nodded her head and allowed me inside. I asked her for something sharp, and she handed me a scalpel. She turned Bell on his side, and I dropped my blood on his back. I began updating his status, and he was ready for a level-up. However, I noticed something odd.

Bell Leywin

Miach Familia

Level 3-4

Strength: SSS 1900- I-0

Endurance: SSS 1900- I-0

Dexterity: SSS 1900- I-0

Agility: SSS 1900- I-0

Magic SSS 1900- I-0

Skills:

Heroic Will: Provides user with accelerated growth.

Mana Core silver stage: allows the user to use many kinds of magic, proficiency changes on how much the user practices a certain magic.

Draconic Beast Will: Inherited by the user as the Asuran blood in him is too diluted, therefore, a beast will manifested in its place.

Argonaut: Unknown

Indomitable spirit: Allows user to remain fighting as long as they are not dealt a crippling or fatal injury.

Luck

I let out a small chuckle seeing his new skill, would've been helpful earlier. It also seems his limit goes up by 200 points each level up.

"What are his chances now that he's leveled up," I asked as I helped Airmid put Bell back on his back. She did a checkup, and a small smile appeared.

"His chances have improved drastically, he now has a 60 percent chance of survival. I cringed a little, hearing it wasn't a full 100 percent, but you have to take what you can get.

A purple will-o-wisp then exited Bell's body and floated in front of us. "Make that 100 percent, I fixed his mana core, and he's broken into mid silver, the dumb fuck will make it," Regis told us.

I breathed a sigh of relief and walked back outside with Airmid. She explained that Bell would make it thanks to his level-up strengthening his body, and the fact that Regis was able to fix his mana core.

It seemed all the tension in everyone's body left as they either all collapsed or their bodies just slumped. It was clear everyone was exhausted, even I was.

But knowing Bell could have died at any moment kept everyone awake.

"Is it ok if we see him?" Demeter asked. Airmid took a look at everyone before answering.

"Not for long, you all haven't slept or eaten since you arrived, only a few of you can go in at a time to not crowd the room so much, you can go in groups of two and three."

We talked amongst ourselves and decided that the first group would be Nazha, Aisha, and Demeter.

I walked over and gently shook Nazha awake, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked tired even after she had slept.

"He's gone, isn't he" she solemnly asked.

I smiled and shook my head. "No, my dear, he's alive, but he is in a coma, they're sending visitors in now, we agreed for you to be a part of the first group."

She quickly shot up fully awake, the exhaustion that was there had faded. She blinked a few times before standing up and walking into the room with the first group, the door shutting behind them.

Nazha POV

The three of us walked in and saw Bell sleeping peacefully, Regis was still in his Will-o-wisp form as he had expended all of the aether in his body to heal Bell. He would get his normal form back soon.however.

"He looks peaceful," Aisha commented.

"I think this is the most at peace I've ever seen him," Demeter added.

We all watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, yet something struck me as odd, why couldn't Regis wake him up?

"Hey Regis, how come you weren't able to wake Bell up," I asked.

"I tried, but somethings keeping him asleep," he answered.

"Could it be he's traumatized?" Demeter asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Regis shook his metaphorical head. "No aether would be able to break past a barrier like that, it's something otherworldly keeping him asleep"

"Like what" Aisha inquired.

"I don't know," Regis answered.

Ryu POV

Lunoire, Persephone, and I were the next group to enter. I took a seat next to his bed and grabbed his hand. My head still hurt slightly from Alfia, but I was fine compared to Bell.

He looked peaceful.

Persephone and Lunorie stood on either side of me. They told me what had happened before I showed up, they said the woman who had a hand in Ardee's death was there.

"Are you sure it was her he fought?" I asked, I needed to be sure. For Ardee's sake, I had to know if Valletta was still alive.

Lunoire nodded. "It was, Bell got a pretty good hit on her"

Persephone sat on the bed and patted Bell's leg. "It was a hell of a thing he did, he made sure everyone got out of Daedalus Square alive, he's a hero in my books"

"He also saved goddess, nearly flew into a rage when he saw what she did to her," Lunoire added.

We heard a knock on the door, signaling our time was up. Persephone got up after patting Bell's leg one more time, and Lunoire paid her respects.

I gave Bell's hand another squeeze "Please wake up soon, Bell"

Alise POV

It was now Kaguya, Lyra's, and my turn to visit Bell. Seeing him lying there, eyes closed, and unmoving, was hard to see.

We were used to Bell being vibrant and a little shy at times. But over these past couple of days, he changed. Sure, it had been a while since any of us spoke to him, but we could still see the change in him.

Images of us fighting flashed into my mind, could I have weakened him enough that Alfia had an easier time fighting him?

I had already forgiven him for the illusion he showed me, I knew he wouldn't have done it unless he had to. He had lost our fight, and that was his only way out of it, he wouldn't have just gone up to me and done it. I took another look at him, and he looked-

"Before any of you say it, yes, he looks peaceful," Regis told us.

"Rah, I hate this, wake up, Bell," Lyra complained, nearly ripping out her hair.

"Calm down, Lyra, getting angry at the situation won't help anything," Kaguya told her.

Lyra groaned. "Still, we should've been able to help, he shouldn't have had to face her alone"

"But it seems that is what Alfia wanted, but the question is, why reveal herself like that? What goal does she accomplish by brutalizing Bell in public" I wondered aloud.

A knock on the door signaled that our time was over.

Laurier POV

Lili, Haruhime, and I walked in next. Our group was one of the last. The last group would be Lefiya, lady Astraea and Cassandra. Daphne volunteered to wait for Zald and Welf to come back so she could go with them.

"Regis, is he gonna be alright," Haruhime asked as she sat in the chair next to the bed and was petting Bell's hair.

"Don't worry, little fox, he'll be alright, kid's not dying while I'm around," he reassured her.

Lili stood next to Regis. "How close was he to dying," Lili asked.

Regis was quiet for a moment before he answered. "He slipped away a few times, but we were able to bring him back, it was thanks to those healing stones you gave him that he was able to last until the hospital"

Lili breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she had helped Bell in staying alive. I took another look at his unmoving body, seeing the steady rise and fall of his chest made me feel weird.

Why do I feel this way? Is this guilt? Do I feel guilty because I wasn't able to save Bell like he saved me?

But why do I feel my heart race thinking about him?

His smile, his carefree attitude, his love of magic, I'm older than him, but why does he make my heart race?

"Oh my god, the kid did it again," Regis commented.

I didn't pay attention to him as I just kept watching Bell, I knew he would survive, but seeing him unmoving, just felt wrong.

"Don't worry, Laurier, Bell will pull through, if he's one thing, he's a stubborn bastard, doesn't know when to quit," Regis reassured me.

I turned and nodded to him. "Thanks, Regis"

A knock on the door signaled our time was up.

Astraea POV

The last group walked in, which was mine. I needed to prepare myself to see him, so I let everyone go ahead of me.

I took a seat in the chair next to his bed, grabbing his hand and just staring at his face. His ruby-red eyes were hidden behind his eyelids which remained shut.

Something or someone was keeping him asleep, and it seemed he wouldn't wake up unless they wanted him to.

"He was the first person to ever listen to me," the blue-haired girl Cassandra said.

Lefiya and I turned out attention toward her, wondering what she meant by that.

"I-i-i have these visions, no one ever listened to me, but he did," she explained. That's when it clicked.

"You're the seer, aren't you," Lefiya asked.

Cassandra nervously nodded her head.

"Thank you, it seemed your early warning was able to prepare a little for…something like this," I told her.

None of us would admit it, but we were preparing ourselves for the worst possible scenario, it didn't make this any easier, but at least it prepared us somewhat.

"I still can't believe his aunt would do something like that, she was supposed to care for him, not do this," Lefiya gestured to Bell.

"She was always cold, only thing she ever loved was her sister, looks like she was cold enough to do this," Regis told us.

"But why would she do something like this," I asked.

"Because she hated Bell's father, Bell has his father's eyes, I've lost count of the number of times she threatened to gouge them out so that she wouldn't have to look at them," Regis explained.

The three of us were horrified. "That's no way to raise a child, let alone one as kind as Bell," I protested.

"I know, that's why I made sure to always be near Bell in case she tried something, yet this dumbass cares for others more than himself, if only I was with him," Regis said, his voice filled with some regret.

Before any of us could offer some words of comfort, a knock on the door signaled that our time was up.

Bell POV

I was in a completely white void, except for an oak door a few feet in front of me. Seeing nothing else I could really do, I walked to the door and opened it. When I did, the scenery changed to that of my old home, the old cabin in the mountains where I grew up.

I saw smoke was coming from the chimney, so I walked up to the door and opened it. When I did, I saw the kitchen with dishes stacked neatly next to it. I looked to my left and saw the living room, the purple couch in the middle, and the two blue armchairs at its side.

My eyes widened in shock at who was sitting in one of them. He was wearing his farming overalls with a blue button-down shirt underneath it.

His grey hair and beard was the same as when I last saw him, the smile on his face was not one I had seen before, it looked as if he was glad I was here so that we could have one final conversation. He closed the book in his hands and set it on the coffee table in the center. He stood up and walked over to me, his 6-foot stature towering over me as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"Hello, Bell," my grandfather said.

Well, Bell's in a coma and will be for a while. While he is, we're gonna explore some of the other characters as well as Bell with wherever he is.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed later.