Vanessa checked the small clock in the corner of the room, her face showing a hint of worry.
"Teddy, I have to go for a while," she said as she stood up, straightening her worn-out jacket. "The hospital is short on medical staff. Many are injured at the border post."
Teddy turned, offering a thin smile. "I'm fine. Go ahead. The world needs you."
Vanessa stared at him for a moment, as if it was hard to leave him, then nodded slightly. She bent down, straightening Teddy's blanket once more before turning and leaving the small room. The sound of her footsteps gradually faded in the hallway.
Silence enveloped the room... until another voice was heard.
「Finally, she's gone,」 murmured a heavy voice in Teddy's head.
Teddy sighed softly, then closed his eyes. "Axcel... you're too harsh."
「I'm just being honest.」 The voice sounded like an old man, patient — and tired of the world. Teddy chuckled softly. He had been familiar with this voice for a long time. Axcel, his Guardian Soul — an artifact spirit that had merged with his soul since his past life.
They fell into silence for a moment, savoring the rare quiet.
"Axcel... about all this," Teddy started the conversation, staring at the dull ceiling. "Why am I here? Why... am I alive again?"
「I don't know,」 Axcel answered, his voice honest and unhesitating. 「Even I... don't understand how we crossed the boundary of worlds. We should... have rested forever.」
Teddy nodded slowly. There were many questions tickling his mind, but he knew — for now, the answers weren't available. "Alright... let's put that question aside," he said finally. "I want to talk about something else. About... the energy in this world."
Axcel snorted. 「Arcana, huh?」
"Yes," Teddy muttered. "I can feel it... similar to the mana in my old world, but not quite the same. Arcana feels wilder. Heavier..."
「True,」 Axcel replied. 「If Mana is like a calm river that can be controlled... Arcana is more like a storm. It can grant great power, but it can also consume its user if they're not careful.」
Teddy nodded. He remembered the faint sensation when he felt Arcana in the air — strong, wild, and demanding great caution.
"Can you... scan my body?" he asked slowly. "I want to know how badly it's damaged."
There was a brief pause before Axcel responded.
「Alright.」 Teddy felt a subtle wave move through his body, like an invisible thread unravelling layer by layer of himself. Not long after, Axcel spoke, heavy and serious. 「Your body is in relatively stable condition for an ordinary human. But...」
Teddy raised an eyebrow. "But?"
「Most of your artifacts... are sealed. I can sense their traces. Vault of Aeons, Heart of Mana, even Blade of Eternity — all of them... locked by something I cannot penetrate.」
Teddy clenched his fist above the blanket. "Heart of Mana too...?"
The Heart of Mana — the artifact that once gave him nearly limitless mana — was now sealed. However, even though it wasn't fully opened, it still had an effect, albeit limited.
「I don't know what caused this sealing,」 Axcel continued. 「Whether it's the effect of traveling between worlds... or if something bigger is at play. But... even though it's sealed, the Heart of Mana can still absorb the surrounding Arcana and turn it into mana. However, the amount is very limited. It won't give you limitless power like before.」
Teddy fell silent, processing this information. "So... even though it's not like before, I can still use a bit of mana from the Arcana around me?"
「Yes,」 Axcel answered. 「But that's just a backup. Not like the power you used to have. But we should be grateful... because without it, you'd be much weaker.」Teddy sighed deeply. "That's better than nothing."
Axcel continued, his voice more serious. 「There's one more thing you need to know. The Vault of Aeons... although sealed, can still be used. But its capacity is now very limited. Only about 50 square meters. All the items you had in it before... are locked. You can't access them at all.」
Teddy fell silent for a moment. "So, I can only use the Vault of Aeons for a very limited space?" 「Yes. All the items you stored in it before... can't be taken anymore. That's the effect of the sealing that occurred.」 Axcel replied.
Teddy stared at his empty hands, feeling the weight of that reality. "So, a lot of the power I once had is gone... but I can still survive."
(But we have to be ready, Axcel. This world has changed, and I need to know how to face it.) Axcel simply sighed. (We'll find a way out, Teddy. We'll face this together.)
Teddy nodded, his resolve growing stronger. This world might not give him much time, but he wouldn't give up just yet.