Shattered Remnants of a Dream

87. A Dream Distorted

"Noooo!"

Cliff ripped his torso up from the hospital bed, pulling up the wires attached to his body. He looked around frantically, sweat pouring down his face, expecting to see the severed arm of Mephistoclessia still lodged within his stomach. But the hole was gone, along with many of the other wounds he sustained through the fight. His eyes drifted up to his left shoulder, and he let out a low moan. A lonely stump remained where his left arm had once been.

Cliff looked around the curtained-off chamber and spotted Caleb, also in a hospital gown, sitting in a chair next to Cliff's bed. The blue-haired warrior stared at Cliff with exhausted, dejected eyes.

"Good," Caleb said. "You're awake."

"Caleb..." Cliff huffed. "The tournament...is the tournament over?!"

"I dunno," Caleb said with a forced smile. "I got carried away too."

"What?" Cliff asked. "Who did you lose to?"

"Averyl..." Caleb dropped his head, hiding his moist eyes. "I should have kept going. I know I should have...but he was just too strong. I lost all hope, and I ran."

"You ran?!" Cliff shouted. "What about Sabine? And Amyr?!"

Caleb sniffed and brought his face back up. Despite his youth, he looked old and tired. "Sabine was up against Amyr in the first round, and Amyr forced her to let him go ahead. Then Saffron cut him in two right after my match. The asshole even gave Amyr a chance to run...like he knew Amyr was the kind of guy who'd never do something like that."

Cliff let out a curse. Excruciating moments of silence followed as the two men struggled to find more words.

"Now she won't even speak to me," Caleb finally went on. "We lost Captain Trujillo too, from the looks of it."

"Wait," Cliff asked shakily, "what about Vance and Eden? Who did they face?"

Caleb let out a long sigh, then shook his head. "Vance and Eden both made it to the final round. Eden took out one Zodiac, while Vance took out two."

"What?!" Cliff screamed. "They...they what?!"

"I wouldn't have been that surprised," Tao said, as he moved up from behind the curtain. "You know better than anyone just how extraordinary they both are, Cliff."

"Seneschal?" Cliff turned to face his leader. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a long story," Tao said, letting out his own sigh. "For now, just focus on your rest and rehabilitation, Cliff."

"Has Captain Azuka returned yet?" Cliff inquired. "Or any of the other captains, for that matter?"

"The details are still coming in," Tao said. "Just a few moments ago, a massive explosion engulfed the tournament complex. Before Nathan and I fled the venue, the last thing we saw was Vance and Eden being attacked as they went in to claim the clock. A certain man was waiting there for them."

"We have to go, then!" Cliff glanced around frantically. "We have to make sure that Vance and Eden are alright."

"Cliff." Tao bit his lip. "There is much about this situation that you still do not understand. In addition to that, you're down an arm. I think it would be best if you used this time to rest and recuperate."

"But..." Cliff insisted, "Vance and Eden need me! I can't just sit here and..."

"Do they?" Tao stared at Cliff with pity. "You led them far, Cliff...you did your part. I can't bear to experience another casualty so soon...please understand."