Chapter 76: Panic in the Infirmary

As Kael struggled to breathe through the sharp pain in his chest, his mind raced back to the past, to his classroom at the Eastern Academy. During the Dark Arts class, Professor Marlon had drawn ancient runes on the blackboard while discussing a dangerous spell:

"Mental Shatter."

This spell was a forbidden technique that could only be used by wizards belonging to special classes such as elves, demons, and Star Magic. The reason was simple:A single failed attempt would cause permanent, irreversible damage to the minds of both the caster and the target.

But Kael had no other choice. Whatever was happening inside Olivia's mind, she wouldn't calm down until he got to the root of it. Moreover, Master Videl couldn't keep her in this state any longer without harming his granddaughter. It was clear from his demeanor that the old man had reached his limit.

"Alright... Kael, you can do it,"

Kael was struggling to breathe through the pain of several cracked ribs and a broken arm bone. With every step he took, his bones ached, and his vision grew blurry.

Videl, gripping Olivia's hands tightly with both of his while resisting, shouted without looking back:

"Kael! Get out of my way, son! I'll hold Olivia..."

"Kael! Can you hear me?!"

Kael ignored the old man's warning. To trigger the Mental Breakdown, he had to draw on the sealed demonic essence. He didn't remove the ring from his finger entirely, but by slightly loosening the seal, he allowed the intense energy to flow through his veins. As the demonic essence temporarily numbed the pain in his body, Kael slowly stood up and walked toward Olivia.

"Kael, what are you doing?! I told you to leave!"

Kael didn't answer. He took a step, reached out, and touched the tips of his fingers to Olivia's forehead. In that instant, it was as if all the sounds around them had ceased. Kael had entered Olivia's mind directly.

Outside, Master Videl watched the two young people's bodies suddenly go still, his hands frozen in Olivia's.

"Is this magic...?"

The inside of Olivia's mind was like a burning inferno. Painful memories from the past, ear-splitting screams, and the thick scent of blood mingling in the air...

Kael found himself suddenly in the midst of that bloody night from Olivia's childhood.

Everything had been going so well, so peacefully, when suddenly the sky darkened, and knights surrounded them. Olivia's father and the guards beside him lay on the ground, covered in blood. Little Olivia, huddled in a corner, covered her ears with her hands and wept helplessly. The dark shadows around her were whispering to Olivia, closing in on her, threatening to drive her completely mad.

Just as little Olivia was about to surrender completely to the darkness, she felt a hand on her shoulder in the midst of the storm.

The shadows dispersed. Olivia slowly turned around, tears streaming down her face. Standing before her was Kael.

"Kael...?" Olivia said, wiping away her tears.

"What... are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Kael knelt down in front of the girl and held her trembling hands.

"Do you remember the promise I made to you, Olivia?" Kael said, smiling slightly.

"I told you you didn't have to fight loneliness alone. This place is just a shadow of the past. Don't let them hurt you. Your father's memory should be kept alive not through hatred, but through the courage he showed while protecting you. It's time to wake up, Olivia. I'm here."

Kael's words echoed in Olivia's mind. As he spoke, the bloody knight memories surrounding her began to slowly dissolve and fade away. The dark, fire-ravaged environment had transformed into a peaceful, sunlit atmosphere.When Olivia felt the pain-filled memories filling her mind begin to ease, she threw herself forward, weeping, and clung tightly to Kael.

"Kael, it's me!...Thank you..."

When Olivia quickly opened her eyes, her consciousness had returned to her own body. She was in the real, three-dimensional world, on the training ground. Her arms were still tightly wrapped around Kael. The terrible pressure in her mind had completely vanished.

"Kae—"

Before Olivia could finish her words, she realized that Kael's body in her arms had grown completely heavy. Without any reaction, Kael slipped out of Olivia's arms and collapsed onto the grass. like a lifeless doll.

"Kael!"

Olivia immediately dropped to the ground and shook Kael by the shoulders. The young man's face was completely pale. His breath was so weak it seemed as though it might stop at any moment. When Olivia saw him like this, an indescribable sense of fear and guilt overwhelmed her. Kael had risked his own life to save her.Olivia, tears streaming down her face, pleaded helplessly with Videl, who stood before her.

"Grandpa! Please do something..."

"It's all my fault he's in this state... Grandpa, I beg you, save him!"

Videl knelt down beside Kael. The old man's expression was extremely tense. When he placed his hand on Kael's chest to check his vital signs, he understood the situation.

Although Kael's physical body was safe in the outside world, it was his soul that was bound to this sealed dimension. Since the Mental Shatter spell was cast directly through soul waves, the severe blows he took here and the mental strain he endured could cause permanent damage to his physical body in the outside world as well. If his soul were to be harmed here, the Kael outside might never wake up again.

"Stay calm, Olivia. We need to get him to the cabin right away. I'll use every spell at my disposal to heal his soul and body."

"The rest... depends on his will to live."

While Kael's soul fought a life-or-death battle in the sealed dimension, the tremors of this relentless war had begun to shake his physical body in the outside world as well.

In the outside world, Kael, standing under a tree in the academy's backyard with an old book in his hand and his back pressed against the tree trunk, had been found by a patrolling homeroom teacher. At first, the teacher thought he had fallen into a deep sleep, but when he went over and shook him, he realized Kael wasn't responding to any external stimuli. Acting in a panic, the teacher wasted no time in alerting the academy's healers and had Kael's motionless body carried to the infirmary.

Shortly afterward, the academy's principal, Felan, entered the infirmary room with a look of deep concern on his face. He walked straight over to the healers standing by Kael's bedside.

"What happened to Kael? How is he?"

The teacher who had brought Kael to the infirmary stepped forward to explain the situation:

"Director Felan, I found him motionless under a tree in the school's backyard. At first, I thought he was asleep, but when I approached him, he didn't respond to my calls or when I shook him. He was completely unconscious. The only thing he had with him was this book, which he was clutching tightly."

"A book?"

"So, what's his condition now?"

The infirmary healer checked the notes in her hand and replied:

"Unfortunately, he still isn't responding to any external stimuli. His breathing is stable, and there are no apparent issues with his vital functions or energy channels. His pulse is normal."

"Ms. Felan, this is the first time I've seen a case like this. There's no physical injury, but his body seems to be in a deep coma."

Felan looked at Kael's pale face and fell deep into thought.

"Is this the work of that underground organization again? But that can't be... I would have been notified the moment they set foot in the Academy thanks to the protective seals,"

"You said Kael was holding a book, didn't you? Where is it?"

"Here it is, Director Felan, please take a look,"

Felan lifted the cover of the old book and opened its pages. He carefully examined the runes and symbols on the pages, but something was off...

"What kind of language is this? I don't understand a single word written here; I've never come across such an alphabet even in the Academy's archives."

Felan closed the book and placed it on the table next to Kael

"I need to notify Zephyros immediately."

As soon as Zephyros received the news, he quickly made his way to the academy's infirmary. When he burst through the door, his eyes immediately locked onto Kael, who was lying in bed.

"Kael!"

"Calm down, Zephyros, please don't shout—this is an infirmary."

"What happened to Kael, Felan?! Did something happen to him?!"

"I don't know exactly," Felan said with a sigh.

"One of the teachers found him unconscious in the schoolyard. He hasn't moved a muscle since he arrived; for some reason, he hasn't regained consciousness."Zephyros was furious.

"How is that possible?! No one should be able to harm him within the academy's grounds! Who did this to him?!"

"I don't think anyone from outside did anything to Kael, Zephyros,"

Felan pointed to the old book on the table.

"When they found him, he was holding this book. Whatever led to this situation, the culprit is most likely this book."

Zephyros picked up the book from the table and flipped through the pages quickly. He was surprised when he saw the text

"What language is this book written in? I don't understand a single word..."

"I know, that's why I called for Kifanes, the academy's librarian. Maybe he knows something."

Right in the middle of this conversation, Kael, who had been lying motionless on the bed, suddenly began to convulse. The young man was writhing in agony.

"Kael!"

Zephyros and Felan rushed over to the edge of the bed at the same time.The infirmary healer, seeing this sudden change in Kael's condition, shouted toward the door to summon the other healers:

"Hurry over here! His condition is worsening; we need immediate intervention!"

"Felan! What's happening to Kael?! He was completely fine just a moment ago!"

The head healer, bursting into the room, gently pushed Zephyros back.

"Mr. Zephyros, please step back!"

The healers gathered around Kael, placed their hands on his chest, and began casting healing spells using green magic circles.

Zephyros's eyes widened in fear. His composure shattered in an instant..

"If anything happens to him... how will I ever look Nerya in the face..."

Felan, seeing Zephyros's collapsed state, rushed over to him.

"The healers are treating him, Zephyros! Pull yourself together, please, stay calm!"

Thanks to the healers' intense efforts and the resilience of Kael's own powerful mixed blood, the spasms in Kael's body had ceased after a few tense minutes. The blood flowing from his mouth had stopped, and he had begun breathing regularly again. The head healer wiped the sweat from his brow and stepped back.

"His breathing has stabilized; he seems to be doing well for now."

When Zephyros saw Kael's chest rising and falling normally again, he couldn't hold back and dropped to his knees right beside the bed.

"Thank God... Thank God..."