The medical room in the Storm Clan was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the window.

The crystal lamps were off, and the hum of the healing machine in the corner had stopped, leaving a silence that felt heavy.

Charles lay on the bed, his tunic still carrying a faint burnt smell, though not as strong as before.

It was a tedious odor to endure, but somehow he was managing to tune it out.

Through the closed door, muffled footsteps and distant murmurs from the medical staff in the hallway drifted in, but inside the room, the space felt solitary.

Kaira had left a couple of hours ago, and while her visit had been a welcome change after the tension with Lira, now that he was alone, Charles couldn't shake a strange sense of emptiness.

He let out a long sigh, staring at the dark ceiling.

His mind kept replaying the conversation with Kaira.

He hadn't outright rejected her offer to train together—not because he didn't want to, but because she'd mentioned something that piqued his interest: the secrets and perks of the Master rank.

Charles knew Kaira was at that rank, like Nora, but while Nora was always lounging in trees or stirring up trouble with the dining hall staff, Kaira seemed more… serious, or at least she tried to be.

'If she can teach me something about the Master rank, it could be useful,' he thought, scratching the back of his neck.

He wanted to understand how things worked in the clan for someone at that level, especially now that he'd hit Level 7.

The system tab still hovered in his vision:

[HP: 100%. Energy: 4%].

He was exhausted, but curiosity kept him awake.

Then, unbidden, his mind drifted back to the moment Kaira's tunic slipped, revealing her shoulder.

The image of her smooth skin flashed in his head, and he felt heat creeping up his cheeks.

The girls in this clan were definitely dangerous.

'Damn it…' he thought, shaking his head as if he could erase the memory.

Now wasn't the time to get distracted by that. There were too many problems to think about: Kain's suspicions, Lira's warning about the blood the medics took, and now Kaira's offer.

But his thoughts also turned to Nora.

'Where the hell was she during this whole mess?' he wondered.

He hadn't seen her in the arena or the stands, which was odd.

Nora always seemed to pop up at the most inconvenient times, but this time, nothing.

Charles sighed again, trying to focus on resting.

Lira's warning about the blood still nagged at him.

'Why'd she make such a big deal out of it?' he thought, frowning. 'If it was that important, she could've told me beforehand…'

The idea that someone could analyze his blood and discover his lightning affinity made him nervous, but he was also mad at Lira.

First, she drugs him with a cake, then she chews him out for something she didn't even warn him about.

'It's like she gets a kick out of making my life hell,' he thought, clenching his fists.

Finally, exhaustion won out. He closed his eyes, and sleep wrapped around him like a heavy blanket.

But it didn't last long.

A sharp noise jolted him awake—the door creaked open, and light from the hallway flooded the room.

Charles blinked, disoriented, as two nurses entered.

They were different from the ones from yesterday, wearing light blue tunics but with a serious, almost military air.

One had black hair tied in a tight bun, and the other, younger, wore round glasses that gave her a studious look.

Both regarded him with professionalism, addressing him only as "Cole."

"Good morning, Cole," said the nurse with the bun, her tone formal as she set a tray of fresh bandages on the table.

"We're here to change your bandages and check your wounds. How did you sleep? Are you feeling okay?"

Charles rubbed his eyes, still groggy.

"Eh… I'm getting by," he replied, keeping his voice low and faking a wince of pain.

He didn't want them to know his wounds weren't as bad as they looked, thanks to the lightning that had healed him.

"Slept okay, I guess. Still a bit sore."

The nurse with glasses nodded, jotting something in a small notebook.

"That's normal after a fight like yesterday's," she said, her tone clinical. "We'll clean the burns and put on fresh bandages. Try not to move too much."

As she spoke, the nurse with the bun began unwrapping the bandages on his arms with quick but careful movements.

Charles let them work, keeping up the act of being weaker than he was.

"Any new pain?" the glasses-wearing nurse asked, peering at him over her lenses. "Or anything you've noticed since yesterday?"

"Nah, nothing new," Charles said, shrugging. "Just the usual ache. The burns itch a bit, but I'm fine."

It was a half-truth.

The burns barely hurt anymore, but he needed to keep up the facade to avoid suspicion.

The nurses worked in silence for a few minutes, cleaning the wounds and applying an ointment that smelled of herbs.

When they finished, the nurse with the bun straightened and looked at him seriously.

"Cole, Miss Lira asked us to inform you that she expects you to go to her room when you're ready," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "She said it's important."

Charles felt a stab of irritation.

'Lira again?' he thought, clenching his teeth.

He was still pissed about yesterday's drama, especially how she'd chewed him out over the blood and, worse, drugged him with that cake.

"Thanks for the message," he said, his tone flat. "But right now, I'm heading out to grab some breakfast. I'm not in the mood to deal with Lira."

The nurse with glasses raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

"I understand, Cole," she said, her tone softer. "But be careful. Your body still needs time to recover. No unnecessary strain, alright?"

"Yeah, sure," Charles replied, forcing a smile. "Thanks for everything."

The nurses finished packing up and left the room, leaving him alone again.

Charles got out of bed carefully, making sure to move slowly to keep up the act of being injured. He slipped into a clean tunic left on a chair and checked his status in the system:

[Energy: 6%]. His energy had ticked up slightly overnight, but it was still too low for much of anything.

Charles stepped out of the medical room into the main hallway.

The area was still damp from yesterday's rain, with small puddles reflecting the sunlight now streaming through high windows.

The storm had passed, and the sky was clear, giving Charles a sense of relief.

'A new day,' he thought, taking a deep breath. 'Maybe today'll be a bit more chill.'

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