Chapter 7: Waking Up

"Alex, this can't go on... you need to wake up," his mother said as he lay with his head in her lap, watching the sunset on the grass.

"I know this is all a dream, but let me stay a little longer," Alex replied, gazing at the horizon where a man was walking towards him. But before he could get a better look, the scenery around him changed, and he found himself sitting at the dining table with his parents, enjoying a meal.

"Alex, you have to go and live your life. We'll be here waiting for you when you come back, and you can tell us all about your adventures," his mother said, smiling at him.

Alex looked down at his plate; it was his favorite meal his mother used to make him. He lifted his head and pleaded, "Please don't make me go just yet, just a little longer..."

With a reassuring smile, his mother replied, "You have to go, Alex."

Feeling agitated by his situation, Alex slammed his hands on the table and shouted, "But why do I need to go? Is it because I'm not your biological son?!"

His mother calmly replied, "Despite not being my biological son, you will always be."

Overwhelmed and bewildered, Alex pounded the table with his fists and shouted, "But what does that mean?!"

Before he could get an answer, a hooded man appeared behind Alex's parents and with a very characteristic voice shouted, "Wake up now!!"

At that very moment, Alex opened his eyes.

All the lights in the room were off. Alex could see the moonlight piercing through the blinds on the right side of his bed. Alex tried to get out of bed, and after a few attempts, he managed to stand up. The moment he put both feet down, he fell. He managed to get up, supporting his weight on the bed frame. As he got closer to the hallway, the door suddenly opened by itself. A nurse walked in and saw Alex standing; she fell back, scared. She looked at the bed and saw that the patient had finally woken up. The nurse apologized for her reaction, told Alex to sit on the bed, and said she was going to call a doctor to see how he was. After a brief moment, a beautiful woman entered the room.

"Hello Alex, my name is Dr. Parker. How are you feeling?"

Alex, still a little dizzy, replied, "Fine, I guess..." The doctor continued to examine him to see if he was okay. After the evaluation, she looked at Alex and said, "You're a rare case. You were in a coma for a whole month, and when you woke up, you managed to walk."

Despite feeling dizzy, Alex managed to remember where he knew this woman from. She was Joan Parker, the mother of Emily Parker, the heir to the elemental power of water. Before he could say anything else, Joan gave him an injection and said, "Sleep and rest. We'll talk tomorrow morning."

Alex lay down and fell asleep. It was early morning when he woke up. The noise of someone entering the room woke him up, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Olana with a bouquet of red flowers. Seeing that Alex had woken up, Olana went to Alex's bedside and said, "Good morning, Alex! How are you feeling?"

Alex sat up on the bed and replied, "I'm fine, don't worry. How is Max doing?"

"He's doing fine. He's getting ready for the start of classes at EIL. Classes will start in a week."

Alex looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself.

During the week, Alex had his regular visitor Olana show up every morning by his bedside when he woke up and Dr. Parker twice a day on regular check-ups. Alex noticed that his friend Max hadn't visited nor did he send a letter to check on his well-being. He did, however, receive two letters while he was in a coma from the Great Minister of Arindale, for whom Alex's parents worked, and a nameless elderly high-born woman expressing their condolences for the passing of his parents.