Ah… ah… ha…
Ouch…
I woke up in the nurse's office.
Right… I kind of had my back flex in ways I didn't even know were possible.
I only took a few flexibility classes, and that was already a terrible mistake.
We were tasked to stretch our way through an obstacle course designed specifically to test how far our bodies could bend. And I guess mine reached its limit faster than everyone else's.
The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, pale with a faint ripple of morning light. I tried to sit up, but the sharp tug at my lower back immediately convinced me otherwise.
"Easy there," someone called from the other side of the curtain. Fabric rustled as a head peeked through. It was one of the assistant medics, a young guy with tired eyes and a clipboard. "You got folded like a clean shirt. Stay still for now."
"I noticed," I muttered.
He checked something on the chart and shook his head. "Honestly, you're lucky. Two more seconds on that last slide and we might've had to carry you out instead of letting you limp in."
I sighed. Great.
Through the open window behind him, I could hear the other trainees still outside. Shouts, grunts, laughter. Someone arguing that the third ring of the course was "clearly not designed for human joints." Someone else insisting it absolutely was, and that they simply lacked willpower. A whistle blew. A groan followed. The usual chaos.
The medic looked back toward the window. "Training's still going. You'll probably hear them for the next hour."
"I didn't plan on sleeping through the rest of today," I said.
"You won't. Once your back stops screaming at you, you're free to join… assuming you want to."
I didn't answer. He gave a sympathetic shrug and stepped out.
A few moments later, footsteps approached. Softer, more controlled. The curtain shifted again, this time revealing a familiar presence.
Perida Van Goshina stepped in.
Her hair fell long on one side, straight and dark, while the right side was cut short and decorated with delicate chained golden rings that caught the faint light of the infirmary. Her greyish white eyes were calm, unreadable, like polished stone that refused to reflect anything back.
She scanned me from head to toe as if assessing a misaligned blade. "You look alive. That's good."
"I feel half alive."
"That is still technically alive."
She set a small box on the bedside table. Inside were recovery patches and a wrapped sweetbread.
"Instructor said you passed out in a dramatic fashion. I came to confirm."
"I didn't pass out dramatically. I passed out normally," I said.
Her pale eyes didn't blink. "I saw you being carried. Your arms were dangling. That is dramatic."
Outside, someone yelled that the rope bridge had eaten their shoe. Perida shifted slightly, her chained rings faintly clinking as she turned her head toward the window. "Your classmates appear spirited today."
"Spirited is one word."
She folded her arms, long hair sliding over her shoulder. "Rest. Training continues for the week. Better to recover early than break something important."
I sank back into the pillow. "I'll try."
Perida lingered longer than expected. Then, in a tone softer and almost reluctant, she said, "You did better than most."
I blinked. "Really?"
But she had already begun to turn, the golden rings chiming softly as she walked away, disappearing beyond the curtain and into the ongoing chaos outside.
Left alone, I listened to the distant shouts and the shrill whistle.
Maybe I didn't do that badly… considering I wasn't the one screaming about a missing shoe.
I slowly raised myself to sit up, my spine protesting with a dull throb.
Ugh… I did some stretches back in the academy. Real stretches. Not whatever torture that obstacle course was meant to be.
Maybe I should start studying anatomy. At least then I would understand exactly which parts of me are being snapped in half.
No, better idea. I should go read something about Arkael instead. That would be much more productive than forcing my very human joints to bend in ways they were never meant to every single second.
Yeah. Books. Knowledge. Zero risk of dislocating anything.
I let my legs hang off the side of the bed, letting the cold floor steady me. Outside, I could hear more commotion. Someone yelling about failing the vault, another cursing at the climbing wall, and the sharp whistle of an instructor who sounded like they enjoyed torment a little too much.
Books suddenly felt like salvation.
If I was going to survive Arkael, maybe being physically twisted into a pretzel was not the only route. Maybe knowing its creatures, its terrains, its dangers could keep me alive just as well.
Maybe even better.
I slid off the bed, wincing as my muscles complained all at once.
Alright. Library first.
Training later, if I survive the walk there.
I slowly raised myself and stood, every movement tugging at something sore or overstretched. I reached for the small box of recovery patches on the bedside table. One by one, I pressed them onto the worst spots: my back first, then my left waist, then one across my thighs. Each patch released a faint cool sting that sank under my skin.
Gosh… this hurts more than it should.
I took a few careful steps, testing whether my legs would even cooperate. They protested, so I leaned against the hallway wall for support. The cool surface steadied me as I shuffled forward.
Outside the infirmary room, the hallway was filled with the aftermath of yesterday's training. A few recruits limped along just like me, gripping the rails with shaky hands. One girl had her arm wrapped tightly in bandages. Two boys sat on the floor stretching their legs out in silent agony. And down the hall, a pair of instructors pushed a wheelchair carrying someone who looked like they were barely conscious.
Some were bruised. Some were pale. A few looked as if they had been folded and unfolded like laundry.
Compared to them, I was almost fortunate.
Almost.
I made my way to the counter, still limping a little.
"Hello, can I borrow some books about Arkael and some anatomy?" I asked.
"Sure… oh, uh, I'll get some for you," the assistant replied. Her eyes flicked to the way I was holding myself, and she immediately guessed my condition.
She disappeared into the back room for a moment. I could hear the soft rustle of pages and the gentle clacking of books being shifted around. Eventually she returned with a small stack carefully held in both arms.
Arkael: Inhabitants
Arkael: Race
Arkael: Monster Anatomy
Anatomy: Riftborn's System
Anatomy: Medical Emergency Aid
"Here, these are the books I would recommend," she said with a kind smile.
"Thank you."
"I can have them delivered to your dorm room if you want," she added, glancing again at my stiff posture.
"Please do," I replied, more grateful than I intended to sound.
She nodded and carried the books away, leaving me with a strange mix of relief and anticipation. The thought of studying all this felt heavy, but a good kind of heavy. Knowledge might hurt less than stretching my spine in nine directions again.
I sank into the chair, grateful for the support under my aching back. The assistant carefully wrapped the books in a box and spoke quietly into a call, arranging delivery to my dorm room. The soft shuffle of pages and faint echo of footsteps filled the library as she moved away.
My eyes wandered, and I noticed someone familiar sitting across from me at the same table. She was quietly reading, completely absorbed. The girl had an unusual presence, greyish-white eyes that seemed to look through the air, and her hair was a striking mix of long strands and a shorter section on the right, decorated with chained golden rings.
I leaned closer without intending to, my curiosity winning over. The book in her hands… it looked like some sort of guide on romance. Romantic tips? Was she actually reading this? Is she looking for love?
The image seemed almost comical for someone who carried herself so seriously, yet there was something disarming about the way she was engrossed in it. I blinked, looking back down at my own way trying look anywhere out Perida, trying not to stare too obviously, but the thought lingered in my mind.
Perida Van Goshina. She was the respected right-hand woman of Guildmaster Garrenya. At first, I thought she was just a silent, stoic figure, but I quickly realized she was anything but quiet when engaged in conversation. Her words carried weight, precise and measured, yet she could be surprisingly talkative if she chose to.
I had the chance to interact with her during the training days, as she closely monitored the new recruits. Every action, every hesitation, seemed to catch her attention, and I soon understood why she was Garrenya's trusted aide.
I was also taken aback by her age. Twenty-four, yet she moved and carried herself with a youthfulness that made her seem much younger, almost like she belonged in our age group rather than being a seasoned guild veteran.
Her presence was commanding, yet there was a subtle softness in the way she observed the recruits, as if she weighed each person's potential before passing judgment. It made me both nervous and curious.