The hospital smelled like antiseptic, plastic curtains, and something faintly metallic. For most, it was a terrible scent but to West it was oddly comforting once he realized it meant safety.
Aria barely let go of him from the moment they stepped through the sliding doors.
She guided him to triage, hand firm around his wrist as if he might disappear again if she loosened her grip. West noticed the looks they got—some curious, some concerned—but he didn’t care. H
The nurse at the counter raised an eyebrow when she saw the state he was in.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
Aria answered before West could. "He was caught in a residential ruin emergence."
That single sentence changed everything.
The nurse’s posture straightened immediately. "Room three. Now."
Within minutes, West was seated on a hospital bed with his shirt off, while scanners buzzed and lights passed over his skin. A middle-aged doctor with calm eyes behind thin-framed glasses, ran a diagnostic wand across his ribs, pausing more than once.
"This doesn’t make sense," the doctor murmured.
Aria leaned forward. "What doesn’t?"
He glanced up at her, then back at the screen. "Bruising like this, microfractures here, internal strain along the diaphragm... this should have put a normal person out of commission. At the very least, he should be in far worse shape."
West shifted slightly. "Is that... bad?"
The doctor shook his head slowly. "No. It’s impressive. Your body is already repairing itself at an accelerated rate. Swelling is going down faster than expected."
He studied West more closely now. "You’re awakened, aren’t you?"
West hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Recently."
"That explains it." The doctor hummed. "Tier one, I assume."
"Yeah."
"Well," the doctor said, tapping the tablet, "you’re lucky. A few days of medication, rest, and you’ll be back on your feet. I’ll patch up the external cuts, give you pain suppressants—not stimulants—and something to help your muscles recover."
As the doctor worked, Aria watched everything with laser focus. Every flinch West made tightened her jaw. Every wince had her leaning closer.
When they were finally done, West felt... lighter. Still sore, still aching, but not drowning in as much pain anymore.
Aria thanked the doctor at least three times.
Outside the hospital, night had fully settled in. Neon lights reflected off wet pavement as the sound of traffic sang in the distance.
Aria stopped suddenly, looking him up and down.
"Your clothes are done," she said flatly.
West blinked. "Huh?"
She gestured at his torn, dust-stained outfit. "You’re not walking around looking like a post-apocalyptic extra."
Before he could argue, she was already hailing another cab.
The supermarket was bright, warm, and oddly peaceful compared to everything that had happened. Aria moved through the aisles, tossing items into a basket... shirt, pants, underclothes, a light jacket—occasionally holding something up against him and squinting critically.
"This color suits you," she said before tossing a dark gray hoodie into the cart.
West opened his mouth. "I can pay—"
"No."
"But—"
"No."
She shot him a look that brooked zero negotiation.
West surrendered with a small laugh. "Okay, boss."
At the checkout, she paid without hesitation. West noticed her card didn’t even shake. Whatever Aria did for a living, she was comfortable.
As they stepped back outside, his stomach betrayed him with a loud, unmistakable growl.
Aria froze.
Then she laughed.
"Oh my god," she said, amused and sympathetic all at once. "You haven’t eaten, have you?"
"Not in... a while," West admitted.
"A while" being two days of near-death running, fighting, bleeding, and summoning gods.
She didn’t even ask. She just grabbed his hand again and dragged him toward a nearby restaurant.
It wasn’t anything fancy. It had warm lighting, wooden tables and the smell of grilled meat and spices filled the air. The moment the food arrived, West nearly forgot how to speak.
He ate like someone who had been starved.
Aria watched him with a soft smile, resting on her chin on her palm.
"Slow down," she teased. "It’s not going anywhere."
West swallowed with an embarrassed look. "Sorry."
"Don’t be. I like seeing you like this." She paused, then added lightly, "Makes you feel... real."
She couldn’t even remember the last time she saw Ross eat. He was never around...
By the time they finished, West felt human again.
They arrived at Aria’s apartment just after 9pm.
The building was tall with thirty floors of glass and steel rising into the night sky. The elevator ride was quiet with soft music playing overhead as numbers ticked upward.
They stopped at the eleventh floor and moved towards the second door by the left.
The apartment itself was... nice. Not extravagant, but clean, modern, and warm. Soft lighting illuminated a spacious living room with a wide couch, a low table, and large windows overlooking the city. To the right was a bedroom. To the left, a second room filled with monitors, a desk, and shelves stacked with notebooks and tablets.
"My workspace," Aria said casually. "I work remotely."
West nodded, taking it all in. "It’s... comfortable."
She smiled. "Make yourself at home."
The first thing he asked was inevitable. "Where’s the shower?"
She pointed down the hall. "Towels are inside."
West didn’t hesitate. He rushed towards the bath while taking off his clothes.
The moment the hot water poured over him, everything hit at once.
The ruin...
The monsters...
The darkness...
The goddess...
The near-death moments...
West braced his hands against the tiled wall, letting the water run over his hair and shoulders as memories replayed in brutal clarity. His body stung where bandages covered cuts, a reminder that none of it had been a dream.
He inhaled slowly and then exhaled.
West’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He raised a hand, and with a thought, summoned the system interface.
The translucent blue screen bloomed into existence before him, steam curling through it.
He scrolled down and tapped Inventory.
<[ INVENTORY ]>
Items appeared one by one, floating icons arranged neatly in a grid.
Ranging from Rotars florks to other ruin materials, including both affinity stones
And beneath them...
• Chalice of Vitality
West’s heart skipped as he selected it.
Light gathered beneath the shower spray, coalescing into solid form.
The chalice appeared in midair, then dropped gently into his hands.
It was heavier than it looked with red diamonds embedded along its surface catching the light as water splashed against it.
The system prompt flickered briefly.
[ Chalice of Vitality ]
Turns any liquid into a healing solution. Continuous consumption over time enhances bodily resilience.