Hymeno remained silent for a moment.
The teasing smile had disappeared from her face.
"You enjoyed it?"
BJ nodded reluctantly.
Hymeno studied him carefully, her expression becoming more analytical.
"That doesn't sound like a memory."
"No," BJ said quietly. "It felt real."
"I believe you."
BJ looked at her, surprised.
"You do?"
"I didn't say I believe your vision was the future." Hymeno picked up the scanner and examined its readings. "But whatever you experienced clearly affected your body."
She looked back at him.
"And that's what I'm interested in."
Her smile returned, smaller this time.
"Let's find out what happened to you."
The energy pattern moving across the screen wasn't unfamiliar to her. It resembled the same fundamental energy signatures found in the systems used throughout their world, but the way it was circulating through BJ's body was completely different.
She leaned closer to the display.
"Interesting…"
BJ glanced toward her.
"Is that good interesting or bad interesting?"
Hymeno didn't answer immediately.
The readings continued climbing.
"This isn't the problem," she murmured. "Your power source is stable, well, as stable as your power usually is, which is not great. But after your vision, it looks different."
BJ blinked.
She adjusted the scanner and watched the energy fluctuate.
"There was a massive surge before you lost control. Something disrupted the way the energy was flowing through you."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And I can't identify what caused it."
BJ looked at the monitor, then back at her.
"So… you're saying you don't know?"
Hymeno smiled faintly.
"I'm saying I've reached the limits of what I can determine here."
She removed the needle and began examining the readings again.
"Lucky for you, I know someone who might."
"Who?"
Hymeno paused.
That familiar, tired little smile appeared on her face.
"…Yanma Gast."
BJ immediately winced.
"Ah."
Hymeno glanced at him.
"You remember."
"Hard to forget about him after the last time we met."
She sighed softly.
"Unfortunately."
Hymeno stepped away from the medical equipment and activated the communication device on her wrist.
The screen flickered before Yanma Gast appeared.
He leaned back in his chair, wearing the familiar confident grin.
"Well, well. The Queen of Ishabana calling me personally? I was starting to think you missed me."
Hymeno's smile remained pleasant.
"I was starting to enjoy the silence."
BJ, still lying on the cot, quietly covered his face with one hand.
Yanma noticed him.
"And there's our favorite walking disaster."
BJ lowered his hand.
"Nice to see you too."
"I hear you made quite a mess."
Hymeno glanced toward the ruined ward.
"That would be putting it mildly."
Yanma's expression became more serious.
"So what happened?"
Hymeno explained the readings from BJ's examination, including the energy surge that occurred before he lost control. She transmitted the scan data to N'kospa.
Yanma studied the information for several seconds.
"Huh…"
His eyes narrowed.
"This is different from what I saw when he transformed."
"That's why I'm calling you," Hymeno said. "My equipment can detect the energy, but I can't determine what caused the instability."
Yanma leaned closer to the screen.
"I might be able to."
BJ raised an eyebrow.
"Might?"
Yanma grinned.
"I'm not promising miracles."
Hymeno sighed.
"Then what do you want?"
Yanma's grin widened.
"Straight to business. I like that."
"I don't."
"I want to study his equipment."
BJ immediately looked at the communication screen.
"My equipment?"
"Saba, for starters."
Hymeno's expression remained calm.
"You can study it."
Yanma's grin grew.
"I want to open it."
"No."
The answer came so quickly that even BJ looked amused.
Yanma clicked his tongue.
"Fine. No opening."
"And?"
"I want to study the Power Coin too."
BJ's expression changed.
"My coin?"
Yanma nodded.
"Your sword and that coin are connected to whatever is producing those readings. If I'm going to figure out why your power went unstable, I need to understand both."
Hymeno considered him for a moment.
"You won't damage either one."
"One is obviously already damaged. Don't worry, I won't make it worse."
"Fine."
"And BJ stays present while you examine them."
Yanma sighed.
"You really don't trust me."
Hymeno smiled sweetly.
"I know you."
BJ snorted.
Yanma pointed at the screen.
"Then we have a deal."
Hymeno nodded.
"Good. BJ and Sebastian will come to N'kospa"
Yanma's grin returned.
"Bring the coin."
Hymeno ended the call.
Silence filled the ward.
BJ slowly turned toward her.
"You know, somehow I feel like I just got traded."
Hymeno picked up her tea.
"Don't be dramatic."
"You're much too expensive to trade."
BJ stared at her for a moment.
"...That's somehow worse."
Hymeno smiled faintly.
"Get some rest. You'll need it."
The next morning, Ishabana was already awake.
The damage to the ward had been cleared away, though the repairs would take considerably longer. Medical staff moved through the corridors carrying supplies while others checked on the remaining patients.
BJ stood near the entrance, adjusting the strap of his bag.
He glanced back at the ward.
"Still feels weird knowing I did all that."
Sebastian stood beside him, arms folded.
"You were not yourself."
BJ looked at him.
"That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No."
"Honest, at least."
Footsteps approached from behind.
Hymeno entered the corridor, still holding a stack of documents.
"Everything is arranged."
BJ looked over.
"For N'kospa?"
She nodded.
"Yanma is expecting you."
BJ sighed.
"I was hoping you'd say he wasn't."
"You'll survive."
Hymeno reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a small emergency communicator. She held it out to BJ.
"Take this."
BJ stared at it.
"What is it?"
"An emergency phone. It has one contact saved."
He accepted it, turning the device over in his hand.
"Yours?"
"Mine. If things go south, call me."
BJ raised an eyebrow.
"You're giving me a direct line to the queen?"
"I can't have my project leave without a way to call for help."
Sebastian looked toward Hymeno.
"How long will they be gone?"
"That depends on what Yanma finds."
BJ slipped the communicator into his pocket.
"And you're staying here?"
"I have a kingdom to run."
She gave him a calm look.
"Try not to destroy another medical ward while you're away."
BJ gave her an offended look.
"That happened once."
"Once was enough."
Sebastian turned toward the exit.
"We should leave before this turns into another argument."