I opened my eyes to find myself staring at a white ceiling. As I turned my head, I noticed the white walls surrounding me. To my right, a machine was beeping steadily. I realized I was in a hospital, but I had no memory of how I got here. Questions swirled in my mind: How did I even return to Earth? Is this even Earth? Confusion settled in as I glanced around, searching for any signs of other people. The room was small and private, with no other patients in sight—just a little table and a stool tucked away in the corner on the opposite side.
I started to sit up on the bed where I was lying. As I examined my body for injuries from the past few days, I found nothing. I touched my head where I had been hit; again, there was nothing. Everything had healed. I tried to recall what had happened to me; I remembered the dagger and the numbing pain that overtook me. The dagger! Where is it? As I looked around again for the dagger, the door opened.
"Oh, I see you are awake, darling," said an elderly woman who looked like a nurse, her voice filled with surprise. "Where am I? How did I get here?" I asked slowly. "You were very, very lucky, young man. Some academy students found you lying in Desert portal, where monsters could have snatched you up," she replied while checking the fluids. "How you ended up there is concerning, though— all the gates should be guarded," she added, worry etched on her face. That is some unbelievable luck, I thought to myself, but the last thing I remember is being underground. How did they find me on the surface? As I tried to piece together the puzzle, she sat next to me on the bed. "For the past few weeks, I've been looking after you. I just want to say, I'm happy that you are back with us," she said, a warm smile spreading across her face.
"Usually, this is the time when I talk to patients about what will happen next and how to manage their injuries, especially since you were badly hurt when you arrived. But I guess that's not necessary," she said. "Wait, wait just a second. Did you say a few weeks?" I asked, my mouth agape. She nodded slowly. "What happened to my injuries?" I inquired. "Well, I hoped you could tell us. You healed on your own since your name isn't on the hunter list," she explained. From the corridor, we could hear footsteps and two men talking, drawing closer. She stood up from the bed and said, "Soldiers from the academy are here to talk about you and how the testing didn't indicate that you have powers. It's against the law to hide your powers," she added, glancing through the small window on the door at the approaching men. "You can claim that you were tested, but that was at school, not in the medical facility. Many schools use outdated equipment, so the results aren't always accurate, even if they insist they are. I'm not sure if this excuse will help, but it's better than…" She couldn't finish her sentence before the door swung open. One man in military uniform entered the room, while the other stepped outside to stand guard. "Is he stable?" he asked, looking toward the nurse. The nurse nodded. "Then can we have some privacy? We have some serious topics to discuss." When the nurse left the room, he pulled the stool out from the table and sat next to me. "Mr. Taylor, you are quite an interesting person, I will give you that," he said while flipping through the sheets of paper in his hand. "My name is Andrew. I work for the academy, and we've got some questions for you about your recent adventures." His gaze shifted from the papers to my eyes. "Let's start from the beginning. How did you end up in the portal?" he asked. Should I tell him the truth? Would they even listen to me? And even if they did, would they take any action? "I sneaked in. I didn't see any guards nearby, and I suppose the next question is about my healing power. I didn't know I had it. I was tested in middle school, and since I didn't attend high school, I wasn't tested again," I explained. They tested individuals in middle school and at both the beginning and end of high school. Additionally, businesses were required to inquire about powers from new hires. Since I hadn't worked for any corporations, I hadn't been tested, and it's possible for powers to develop later in life. He listened to me with a frown, as if he found it hard to believe. "Well, I think you know what we are going to talk about next," he said, pulling out a form from beneath a stack of papers. "As the law requires, people aged eighteen to twenty-five with powers must join the academy; basic training that lasts a year is mandatory. After that, it depends on you." Individuals with weak powers will remain only for basic training, as the academy doesn't want them. If you possess strong or unique abilities, the military will offer substantial money and resources or find other ways to keep you in their ranks. It's rare for someone with powers to work in the public sector after basic training; they typically join factions because they can earn much more money slaying monsters. So, saying it's up to you is not entirely true. He handed me the form and a pen. I stared at the form, wondering if there was any way I could excuse myself from this obligation. I was only 20 years old, so I met the criteria. "Is healing power really useful for the academy? It seems kind of useless if I can only heal myself," I asked, still looking at the form. "Let us determine how your ability can benefit the military. You can either come with us, or the soldier behind the door will take you to jail for hiding your powers and lying to me about what has happened. But we can put all of that behind us," he said, tapping the paper in my hand. With few good options remaining, I removed the pen cover, filled in my name, and signed. "What's next?" I asked as I handed him the completed form. "Now we will consult with your doctors; if you are cleared, we will bring you a uniform, and then we will leave for the academy," he replied, standing up and exiting the room.