Morning came sooner than Raphael wanted.
Sunlight slipped through the hospital curtains, painting thin golden lines across the floor.
Raphael woke slowly. For a few seconds, he forgot where he was. Then everything from the previous days came rushing back- the Gate, the Calamity Beast, his death, the system, Vanessa, then the Throne.
Raphael groaned and pulled the blanket over his face.
’Too much happened in one day.’
"You’re awake."
Raphael immediately pulled the blanket down.
Elena was sitting near the door.
She had one leg crossed over the other, a cup of coffee resting casually in one hand. She looked far too comfortable for someone assigned to monitor a potentially dangerous awakened human.
"Good morning," Raphael said.
"Morning."
Elena’s eyes moved toward the other side of the room.
Raphael followed her gaze and saw that Vanessa was standing beside the window. Her long black hair fell down her back, untouched by the morning breeze despite the open window.
She had been unusually quiet. That should have worried him.
"How long has she been there?" Raphael asked.
"About twenty minutes."
"Why didn’t you wake me?"
Elena took another sip of coffee.
"I wanted to see what happened."
"What do you mean?" Raphael frowned.
Elena smiled slightly. "Nothing."
That answer definitely meant something. Raphael pushed himself upright. His body still felt weak.
The doctors had told him he needed more rest, and considering that he had literally died four days ago, he wasn’t exactly going to argue.
Vanessa finally turned away from the window, and her violet eyes landed on him.
"Good."
"Good?" Raphael asked in confusion.
"You are awake."
"Uh... thanks?"
Vanessa walked toward the bed.
Each of her steps was calm and deliberate, but there was something different about her expression that morning. It wasn’t anger or arrogance. It was assessment.
She stopped in front of him.
"Stand."
"What?"
"Stand."
Raphael looked down at himself. He was wearing a hospital gown, and his body still felt as though he had been run over by a truck.
"I’m still recovering."
"Stand."
Raphael glanced toward Elena. The A-Tier operative just raised her coffee cup. She was smiling.
Traitor.
Raphael looked back at Vanessa.
"Why?"
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly.
"Because I refuse to serve a Sovereign who cannot even stand before his own knight."
That hit Raphael’s pride harder than it should have. He slowly pushed the blanket aside.
"That’s a terrible reason."
"It is sufficient."
Raphael placed his feet on the floor. The moment he stood, his legs trembled. He grabbed the edge of the bed as his vision blurred slightly.
Vanessa watched without saying anything.
’Come on.’
Raphael gritted his teeth.
One step. He managed it. Then another. His knees nearly buckled, but he caught himself against the bed.
Vanessa’s expression remained unchanged.
"Again."
Raphael looked at her in disbelief.
"You’ve got to be kidding me."
"Again."
He straightened himself. His legs were shaking harder now, but he refused to sit down, not because he thought he could beat Vanessa. That would have been ridiculous.
He couldn’t even properly walk yet, but he didn’t want to prove her right. He took another step. Then another.
His breathing became heavier, and his muscles screamed at him to stop. Still, he kept going. He made it three steps away from the bed. Then his strength gave out.
His knee buckled, but before he could hit the floor, Vanessa moved. Her hand caught his arm while the other supported his shoulder. She stopped his fall effortlessly.
Raphael froze, and so did Vanessa. For the first time since he had met her, her expression changed drastically, though only slightly.
Her violet eyes narrowed.
She wasn’t looking at his body anymore. She was looking deeper. Something had caught her attention.
"What..." she muttered.
"What?"
Vanessa didn’t answer immediately. Her hand remained on his arm while her expression became more serious.
"Your body is weak."
"I know."
"Extremely weak."
"Thanks."
"But..." She paused, and her gaze shifted toward his chest. "...your soul isn’t."
Raphael’s smile disappeared, while Elena lowered her coffee cup- even she seemed interested now. Vanessa slowly released Raphael’s shoulder.
"Strange."
"What is?"
"I can sense something."
Raphael’s heart skipped.
The system. Was she sensing the system?
Vanessa’s eyes remained fixed on him.
"Something is sleeping inside you."
Raphael swallowed.
"What kind of something?"
"I don’t know."
That answer made his stomach tighten. Vanessa was an A-Tier Saintess with SS potential, and she didn’t know? She stepped closer, her expression no longer arrogant. It rather showed curiosity, genuine curiosity.
"Your body does not match your soul."
Raphael frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that whatever resides within you..." She paused. "...is far greater than the vessel containing it."
Silence filled the room.
Raphael didn’t know how to respond. Vanessa studied him for another few seconds. Then she smiled. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. Interest.
"So." She crossed her arms. "Perhaps you are not as unimpressive as I first believed."
Raphael stared at her.
"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"
"No."
"Right..."
Behind them, Elena suddenly laughed. Raphael turned toward her, and she quickly covered her mouth with her coffee cup.
"Sorry."
"You don’t sound sorry."
"I’m not."
Vanessa glanced at Elena.
"Something amuses you?"
"Not at all." Elena’s smile widened. "I’m just enjoying watching you two."
"We aren’t a ’you two.’" Vanessa looked at Raphael. "We are Sovereign and Knight."
"That somehow sounds worse." Elena laughed again, but Vanessa ignored her. Instead, she looked back at Raphael.
"Stand again."
"Again?!"
Raphael’s eyes widened.
"You fell."
"I noticed!"
"A Sovereign must possess endurance."
"I’m recovering from death!"
"Excuses."
Raphael stared at her, and she stared back. Neither of them moved. Then Elena quietly spoke from near the doorway.
"This is probably the most entertaining morning I’ve had in months."
Raphael glared at her.
"Whose side are you on?"
Elena shrugged.
"Whoever makes this interesting."
Raphael sighed. Of course. He was surrounded by lunatics. Still... He looked down at his trembling legs. Then at Vanessa.
There was something different in her eyes now. She had been testing him, and apparently, he had passed well enough to earn her interest.
Raphael took a breath. Then slowly straightened his back.
"Fine."
Vanessa’s faint smile returned.
"Good."
Raphael took another step. This time, he didn’t fall, and somewhere deep within him, something stirred. Neither Vanessa nor Raphael noticed it, but the system did.
[Hidden Condition Detected.]
[The Host has endured a trial imposed by his Knight.]
[Condition Partially Fulfilled.]
[???]
[Evaluation Pending.]
Raphael froze.
’What the hell does that mean?’
The system did not answer.