The two figures draped in white robes and veils stepped forward as Alaric's group arrived. Their movements were fluid and graceful, almost otherworldly in their precision.
Their forms were almost entirely obscured by the robes, making it difficult to differentiate between them or discern their genders. However, the shape of their bodies and their subtle curves hinted they were both probably women.
"Welcome to the Grand Healing Pavilion," one of them said, her voice was actually calm and soothing. "We have been informed of your arrival and have prepared for your treatment. Please, follow us."
Without waiting for a response, the two figures turned and led the way through the towering entrance.
The interior was as grand as the exterior, with high ceilings and walls adorned with murals depicting scenes of healing, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness. The floor beneath their feet was smooth marble, cool to the touch, with veins of gold and silver running through it, catching the light in a dazzling display.
A person could easily get lost in the mesmerising sight.
As they were led deeper into the pavilion, the noise of the outside world faded away, replaced by a serene quietness. It was a place of peace, meant to soothe the body and soul. Yet, for Alaric, the tranquility only made him all the more aware of the main reason why he bothered coming here in the first place. Another type of noise was playing out in his head on repeat, completely occupying every other thought.
They were brought into a spacious hall where multiple couches were arranged around the area, and a few people were seated, some drinking from cups or reading books, all the while enjoying their free time.
At the ends of the hall were doors and corridors leading to various other places in the pavilion. As they neared one of the corridors, several other white-robed figures appeared, each coming forward to greet a member of the party.
One of the two who had led them, the one who had spoken earlier, suddenly announced: "Alright sirs, we'll begin your treatments immediately." Her voice still carried that same calm from earlier.
"We'll need to separate each of you into an operation room and provide you with the necessary treatment according to the level of damage you've sustained."
She then stepped a bit away from Alaric and gestured for him to go with her. "If you will follow me, my lord."
He was already put on a wheelchair at this point and pushed around by a man in white, they left the rest of his party behind to tend to their own injuries.
After moving around for a while, they brought him into a spacious operating room bathed in soft, warm light. Several beds lined the walls, each of them accompanied by an assortment of strange instruments and glowing crystals. The robed figure gestured for the man pushing his wheelchair to lay him down on the bed.
"Do not worry; you are in good hands."
Alaric hesitated for a moment, then relented. As he was laid down, the bed conformed to his shape, the material was… really nice. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain, but it was relentless, clawing at his sanity.
The woman in the robes approached his relaxed figure, carrying a few instruments in her hands. She methodically checked his body for any signs of abnormalities, all the while asking him questions about any discomfort or strange sensations he might have felt.
Of course, he was mostly uninjured; even the bloody hole on his temple had mysteriously vanished before their healer had a chance to examine him. All that remained was the inexplicable sensation of a hole drilling through his brain.
He didn't bother hiding it and described the excruciating pain in great detail. The only part he withheld was the truth about how the wound had been "hastily" closed by their party's remaining healer before they perished, a story that wasn't entirely false... probably.
Once she concluded her examination, she placed the instruments down and said:
"Doctor Clayton will be with you in just a few moments. Thank you for your compliance."
With those words, she turned and left the room, leaving him alone in the quiet space.
It was the first time he had been alone since waking in this new body.
"Ah... this is nice," he murmured, sinking back into the thin mattress and letting the silence settle over him.
He allowed himself a few seconds of false peace… until a single thought of remembrance passed through his mind.
'Wait… shit. What am I doing here?!'
He was just now suddenly realising what he's been forgetting the whole time on the way here.
He was a cursed child.
A manner of being existing in this world that wasn't tolerated anywhere. And he'd just been examined.
A wave of nausea rolled over him. He tried to push himself upright, but his arms trembled violently and gave out almost instantly.
'Ahh, damn it!'
His body was a wreck, too fragile to do anything at this moment. Worse still, his mind felt... splintered. Thoughts struggled to link together, slipping away the moment he tried to catch them.
Frantic, he scanned the room, forcing himself to focus through the fog clouding his senses.
There, on the drawer.
A scalpel.
Without another thought, he reached out, snatched the scalpel, and tucked it awkwardly under his sleeve.
'At least she didn't insist on a full scan,' he thought bitterly. 'If they discover what I am now…'
He didn't finish the thought, because soon, the door swung open.
The man who walked in was relatively short and appeared a bit overweight due to his pot belly. A long, bushy silver-white beard flowed down his chest, while his hair, the same color, was long and smooth, reaching the top of his back, with streaks of black running through it. His face was lined with wrinkles, and he wore large round eyeglasses, suggesting his advanced years.
Despite his aged appearance, the faint whiffs of energy he produced at that moment sent a chill down Alaric's spine.
'Third tier… give me a break.'
He walked slowly into the room, his back straight and confident. He stopped by the counter, picked up the report left behind, and, without sparing Alaric a greeting, dove straight into the work.
As he read the report, a while later he then asked, in a low-pitched, gentle voice that carried a professional tone, "You mentioned the immense pain in your skull feels as though a hole is being bored into it?"
Alaric met his gaze with an equally unreadable expression. Yet, in the depths of his eyes, something sinister lurked beneath the surface. He replied in an even tone, "Yes, it's been getting worse since the battle."
Inwardly, his mind raced, desperately weighing his options.
'I'll strike the moment he gets close. Even if it's a gamble, better than lying here like a sacrificial lamb.'
"I'll perform a few procedures to understand the nature of what's causing your discomfort and then adjust the intensity of my efforts to find and remove the cause. There's no need to worry, it won't interfere with your faculties. You'll only feel slightly lightheaded during the process. Having you remain conscious will help."
With that, the healer's hands began to glow with a faint yellow aura, soft and soothing.
Alaric's grip tightened around the scalpel. Now.
But the moment the healer's hands made contact with his head, a wave of unbearable relief crashed through him.
The pain. Oh, the searing, grinding agony that's been gnawing at his mind now vanished like air.
His body betrayed him.
Every ounce of strength drained away in an instant, the scalpel even slipped from his numb fingers and onto the bed somewhere.
He shuddered involuntarily as his vision sharpened and thoughts returned with alarming clarity.
The doctor continued, methodical poking gently at spots along Alaric's skull, the glow in his eyes intensifying as he peered deeper, beyond mere flesh.
For a time, there was only silence.
After a while, the doctor suddenly broke the silence, stating matter-of-factly, "There is indeed something within your head… something that wasn't there before."
After a short pause, as if noticing something strange, he continued. "Strange... the energy signature… it's warped…"
Cold sweat ran down his back.
He tried to move, to do anything, but his limbs had grown impossibly heavy and his body sunk deeper into the mattress as if gravity itself wanted him dead.
"I'll now begin removing the foreign presence. You might feel as if you're slipping between consciousness and unconsciousness."
The glowing radiance suddenly grew brighter and more intense.
"I recommend you surrender to it. The process might not be as pleasant once I begin addressing the root issue."
With that, Alaric's vision twisted. The room spun wildly, and the soothing warmth became unbearable heat.
A final, helpless thought clawed through his mind as the world collapsed around him:
'If he sees… Ugh.'
'How many times has this been already?... Just let me die in peace.'
And then, darkness swallowed him whole.