Chapter Text
Fifty
They hardly made it a foot out of the door before Mina collapsed. Xavier’s concerned calls were background noise as she fought to stay conscious. Her heavy body was lifted and settled onto the back of a vehicle, Xavier immediately getting into a charged discussion with someone else. From what she saw while attempting to keep her eyes open, M.C.’s hands gripped the steering wheel with as much tension as her tone. Their conversation was mostly incoherent with the exception of a few phrases.
“…because of me, they thought I was—”
“—but different. Why would…his bodyguard? They even….”
“…lot to the story. I know Sylus is not…I appreciate…”
“All that matters….suspicious group.”
Xavier’s head turned to look at Mina from the passenger while M.C. looked through the rearview. Another chilling pang pushed through her body; it was the last pebble knocked before her consciousness waned.
The gentle lull of a feminine voice was heard in the distance. It was rich and delicate like the sea breeze that kissed her face. Her eyes refused to open, but all of her other senses were alert. The mysterious siren’s vocals were captivating, accompanied by the ambient waves of the ocean, making the urge to move closer impossible to ignore. No matter how far she tried to walk through the soft sand, the transition to the wet minerals from the shoreline never happened. The voice stayed distant. Their lyrics slowed in tempo and their vocal range lowered to a masculine hum.
When she woke up, sterile sheets covered her body as she was laid on a hospital bed. A lamp was the only source of light in the room. A needle in her right arm was attached to an unfamiliar machine, providing her some sort of drip. Her grimy clothing was replaced with a hospital gown and there was an occupied chair to her left. Rafayel’s exhausted features were evident as he scrolled on his phone while gently humming, the fluorescent light from the device highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t notice that she was awake just; she closed her eyes once more as an excuse to listen to his humming.
She still remembered the way he held her in that room, confessing his inner thoughts through their shared space and the paintings. It wasn’t that she was not attracted to him- she always was- but it was about allowing herself to accept that she was. All of the thoughtfulness, attention, and quality time was what she expected from Sylus. It was all hyped in her mind for years, fueling her need to fulfill her goal of finding him once more. The daunting reality was still difficult to swallow; how could she fully indulge in an offered opportunity when her mind was still stuck on what was? It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.
She heard him stand from the chair, gentle footsteps making their way towards her bed. Her hand was lifted up onto his warm palm where he placed a kiss that lingered with the questions left between them. Mina opened her eyes, immediately making eye contact. He didn’t say anything, his mouth slightly parting as he registered her consciousness.
“Hi.” She said to him, a delicate smile adorning her face. He mirrored her expression.
“Hi.” Rafayel responded. They were stagnant for a few heartbeats; the silent exchange a welcoming comfort. Rafayel’s gentle expression soon morphed into a frown after their moment. “I can’t be away from you for two seconds without you catapulting yourself into harm, can I?”
“Why are you immediately blaming me?” She complained with her own frown. “Not my fault my job is a hazard.”
Rafayel scoffed, placing her hand back on the sheets. “More like you’re the hazard. A cute one, at least.”
“Watch it,” she warned, turning away and crossing her arms with a huff. A moment passed before she looked back at him. An amused grin was fighting its way back to his face despite their exchange.
“I’ve been tasked with contacting the doctor when you wake up,” he said, reaching over her to press a remote that was at her bedside. “I was wondering when you would.”
Mina assumed that she was at Akso, considering that she was with Xavier and M.C. “How long have you been here?” She asked. She began to frown at the thought of him staying up for so long due to her.
“A few hours, give or take. You, on the other hand, have been out for a whole day.”
Mina sat up, immediately regretting it with a wince. “What?!”
“Careful,” Rafayel chided, placing his hands on her shoulders to guide her back onto the mattress. “It’s a miracle you’re even alive, so take it easy.”
Mina shook her head in dismay. “Was my state of health truly that bad?”
“According to the doctor, yes. Very much so, yes.”
He eyed the visible veins on her body. “Those veins of yours do you no good.”
Her eyes focused back on him. “How did you find out I was here?”
“How could I not?” Rafayel sat on the side of her bed. “Not only did you not answer my texts or calls, you even had me running over to your place. Then I ran into…” Rafayel’s voice faltered, an unfamiliar expression adorning his face. His frown hardened and his eyes flinched in disdain. After a moment, he cleared his throat and focused his attention back on her. “You owe me for being in such a rush to make sure you had the best accommodations.”
Mina opened her mouth to ask more questions, but became faltered once the door opened. The doctor- Zayne Li- stepped in with the same level of poise as their last interaction. She couldn’t help but feel on edge, already sensing that the interaction would not be pleasant on her end.
“I am glad to see you are awake, but it seems you didn’t follow my recommendation to rest, Ms. Mina,” Zayne commented, stepping to the machine to check her levels. “When you arrived, we wondered if we could resuscitate you.”
Resuscitate. She knew that she was technically deceased, but it didn’t mean that her heart didn’t beat as if she were alive. Were they implying that her organs stopped as well?
“I apologize, Dr. Li,” Mina said, shoulders shagging as she looked away. After a reassuring arm squeeze, Rafayel moved out of Zayne’s way as he completed his checklist, breathing and moving in the ways he instructed. When he finished, he quickly typed information onto a thin, clipboard-like device.
“We will need to monitor you for the next couple of days. Your cardiovascular system is infected with a toxin that we are still trying to diagnose. The bloodwork will be ready in the morning, which will get us closer to answers.”
Mina stiffened from the new information. It was a complete mystery to her what could show up, but she began to mentally prepare for future questioning about her bodily state. Zayne turned to Rafayel, who was seated in the chair beside the bed.
“I’ll need a moment to speak with her.”
Rafayel frowned. “Don’t tell me it’s something fatal…”
“I’m sure it’s alright,” Mina reassured him. “How about you go and order that pasta dish you mentioned the other day?”
Rafayel turned to her with a retort at the ready. Mina shook her head, giving another reassuring smile. He sighed, pulling himself up from the chair.
“I’m buying all three versions, then. You have a lot of eating to catch up on.” With a final nod, he left the room.
Zayne turned her full attention back to her. “I need some information from you. The state of your body is beyond incomprehensible."
Mina felt the fear course through her, but she tried to suppress it. “By incomprehensible, you mean…?”
“Your Evol is eating you from the inside out. Scans we ran on you showed that you are positive for cancerous tumors attached to your liver, lungs, and kidneys. It is difficult to estimate the exact ages, but they appeared to have festered there for quite a while. Your immune system has been attacking the diseases as if they are not a life-threatening virus, and it’s working to keep you functioning. Were you aware of any of these ailments?”
Mina took a deep, shaky breath as she digested the information. “No. I never knew I was this sick.”
Zayne didn’t seem fully convinced. “It is a miracle that your body has been lasting this long, but it is obvious that the fight won’t last forever.”
Did that mean she was dematerialising? All that echoed in her head was Fate’s constant reminder that time was ticking. Was this what they meant? Mina felt her throat constrict.
“As I mentioned before, we will need you to stay here until your condition stabilizes. From there, we can curate a treatment plan.” Zayne finished. Mina nodded in understanding, staring at her clasped hands. She thought he was going to depart, but he added more. “I do want to mention something about that…friend of yours that just left.”
Mina continued looking down to prevent tears, but her ears perked up.
“Do yourself a favor and be honest with him. He cares for you more than you may believe.”
“Thank you.” Mina said.
Zayne soon left, leaving Mina to marinate over what she discovered. Time was ticking.
She didn’t know how much time passed before the door opened once more. She looked up to address Rafayel, only to immediately bite her tongue when she realized that it was Natalia and Dom who stepped in. Dom held a bouquet of roses while Natalia held nothing but her bag, the sharp sound of her stilettos crossing the hospital floor.
“My goodness, Mina, you had us concerned,” Natalia immediately began, standing at the door of her bed. “We are glad to see that you are awake.” Giving her a sympathetic smile, Dom placed the flowers on a nightstand before sitting down on the chair.
“I…thank you.” Mina said, words depicting her surprised tone. “Are you aware of what happened?”
“Yes, that agent you may have seen before our last meeting decided to play dirty.” Natalia scowled. “I’m so sorry that you were caught in the midst.”
“Why is it that I was? He mentioned a bet.”
“A bet, hm?” Natalia responded. Biting her lip, she turned over to Dom who also looked at her expectantly. With a sigh, she walked over to where he was seated.
Natalia placed a finger on his forehead, where a piercing hole immediately shot through his skull. The only sound made was the trauma of the flesh and bone.
Mina’s whole body went cold, mouth gaping in shock.
“He will wake up in 8 minutes.” Natalia plucked a tissue from the nightstand to wipe her fingers, sitting on Mina’s bedside as she did so. Mina scooted automatically scooted away, hands gripping the bedside sheets.
“How do you know that?” She demanded. “How do you know that when you just killed him?!”
“Because I made him to be that way.” Natalia responded with a chilling ease, oblivious to MinaMs alarm. “He’ll wake up with a migraine. No need for him to be aware of it, though. It would cause him to have a crisis.”
“A crisis,” Mina echoed. “Did you just say that…you made him?”
“Indeed,” Natalia confirmed. Dom’s injury was beginning to close; there was no blood on the back of the chair. “Same with that one spy I sent out. My, you went on quite a goose chase trying to get to the bottom of that case, didn’t you? Still,” she tilted her head, “that curious ending he had, no? Even I was at the edge of my seat impatient to know what you’ll uncover.”
For weeks something about Natalia never sat right with her. Her aloofness, the knowledge of her whereabouts, even the way she allowed Mina to still venture despite vocalizing her suspicions. “…who are you, really?”
Natalia grinned. “Ah, Ms. Gullible wants answers. Typically other people would scream at this point, no?”
There was that word again. It must have been Natalia that told Caleb about her. “Who are you?”
Natalia's grin softened the same way a nurturing mentor would when they notice their pupil getting closer to their potential. “A humble spirit who wants justice. The truth. Stability. The same as you. You see, Mina, we are more similar than you think. This life, these timelines put us in so many unnecessary loops. It is quite unfair, just like your life trajectory. You’ve done and fought for so much only to be at death’s door—not just once, but twice.”
Natalia stood up, crossing her arms while slowly pacing before Mina’s bed. All Mina could do was remain a victim to her frozen state.
“With that said, I need you to get that Aether Core for me, Mina. EVER is too materialistic and ruled by low-tiered thinkers. M.C. seems too reckless to keep it safe in the long run. Especially from working with that dragon. Natalia’s face scrunched up in disgust. “No need for another useless cycle. I’ve seen enough, if I’m being frank.”
Mina was dealing with a woman- possibly an entity- more influential than she could have imagined. However, it didn’t explain her specific distaste towards Sylus and her mysterious need for control. “Why should I listen to you?” Mina asked, the distrust strong on her tongue. Natalia turned back to her with a tilted head.
“Because you still have choices to make, your highness.”
Mina’s eyes widened with terror while Natalia’s smile grew.
“You’re a part of Fate, aren’t you?”
She heard Dom’s breaths once more.
Natalia drew in a sharp breath. “My goodness, no. They’re a little too…reckless with their emotions, in my humble opinion. However, if you’re in a demanding role like theirs, I can see how it could drive one mad.” She shook her head with a shudder. “So glad I’m not in their shoes.”
“Then who’s shoes are you in to want the Aether Core so badly?”
Natalia raised her brow as if she were focused on the wrong matters at hand. “The ones that want what’s best for the good of all.” She glanced at her veins. “Those powers of yours seem to have an expiration date. Wouldn’t it be amusing if that Aether Core was the cure? Or maybe it’s redemption through death…” She looked back into Mina’s eyes, curiously tapping her chin. “…true death. I wonder which option is the key. Options are overwhelming, are they not?”
Dom groaned and held his head, and it was like a switch turned. There was a cup of water beside the tissues that Natalia grabbed for him.
“Dom, you poor thing! Here, sip this.” Dom took the cup and weakly sipped before talking.
“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid it is,” Natalia sighed in a defeated manner. “Don’t worry, we will figure something out. Mina, sweetie, I’m so sorry that we have to leave so soon.” Natalia helped Dom up, who profusely apologized to Mina. Before they were completely out the door, she noticed Natalia’s twinkling eye peer back at her.
“Use your time wisely. To heal, of course. See you soon.”
With that, Mina was left alone. She buried her face into her hands as her body shook with fear. The machine picked up her stress, the heart monitor recording consistently high spikes that will soon alert nurses.