The rain poured relentlessly, thunder rumbling like a fading war drum across the sky.Riku stood barely on his feet, soaked in rain, blood streaking down his torn shirt, his breathing shallow. In his arms, Yumi lay unconscious—her face pale, her leg still bleeding.
He stumbled forward through the shattered terrain of the rift zone's exit, every step an effort, his vision flickering at the edges.
But he held on.
Held her close.
"Almost there…" he muttered, barely audible against the rain.
A flicker of light marked the rift gate's edge.With one final step, Riku crossed the threshold—into the real world.
Alarms rang immediately.
Medics ran toward him.
He gently laid Yumi down on the wet concrete outside the zone, shielding her body with his even as his knees finally gave out. He smiled softly, eyes hazy with exhaustion.
"She's…safe."
Then everything went black.
He awoke to soft light and the quiet beeping of machines.
The scent of antiseptic filled the air.
Riku opened his eyes, blinking slowly.He was in a hospital bed, a bandage wrapped around his shoulder, a white IV line attached to his arm.
"Riku!"
He turned.
His mother and younger sister stood at the bedside—his sister clutching his hand, his mother wiping tears from her eyes.
"You scared us," his mom whispered. "The doctors said you collapsed outside the gate."
"What… about Yumi?" he croaked.
"She's okay," his sister said quickly. "She's resting in the room next door. The doctors said she'll recover fine."
A doctor stepped in, clipboard in hand.
"You're both going to need to stay another day for observation," he said.Then his gaze narrowed on Riku. "…Though, frankly, I don't understand how you've already healed this much."
Riku blinked.
He glanced down.
His wounds—gone. Even the deep shoulder cut was now just a faint scar.
His body had… regenerated.
Must be the Divine Avatar's lingering effects, he thought.
Later that day, when his mother and sister went to get lunch, Riku got up quietly, his legs still sore but usable.
He stepped out into the hallway, carefully making his way to the room next to his.
He peeked in.
Yumi was lying on the bed, asleep, her leg bandaged. The monitor beside her beeped softly. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed slowly.
Riku didn't step in.
He just watched for a few seconds.
A quiet smile crept across his face.His silver hair still hung damp over his eyes, but they glimmered with a mix of relief and gratitude.
"…Thanks for believing in me, Yumi."
Then, without a sound, he turned and walked back down the hallway.
Out of the hospital.Back into the rain.