PANDORA. Hope Dies Last: ToG

Blood continues to flow

Chapter 8

The one thing that comforted me the most upon my waking was that my sight has returned; my left eye, previously blinded by the darkness, saw clearly as if it had never gone through anything like that at all.

I brought my hand to my mouth and felt that my facial muscles were no longer locked in that cursed position. I wasn't smiling...and ironically that almost brought a smile to my face. At least...not now, not when I lost a part of myself. That couldn't have been a dream.

However, what was most notable was the feeling of emptiness...as if something that was fatal, crucial, was gone. I didn't feel different but it was the knowledge of the lack of it which was causing a phantom pain on a spiritual level.

Was she fine? Is she gone...? Truly?

I shut down those thoughts. Without answers, without knowledge, those questions would not get me anywhere helpful. Better to push it aside until I had the means to answer them.

On top of my new bed, which was overly lush for my taste, I could tell that I was more or less back to normal. My sides were bandaged but I no longer felt the emptiness as when the shinsu blast blew a hole through me nor the numerous cuts which I was sure I had all over my body.

Strange...always strange.

It wasn't my first time coming back from death's edge as my instructor liked to show me the idea of desperation and pain. It was always a wonder to both him and myself how I always managed to heal so perfectly in a remarkable amount of time. Life-threatening wounds closing faster than father killing a ranker in frustration...which was to say quite fast. To make matters better(?) Was the fact that it left no trace at all. She had a suspicion what it was.

Blessing of Aphrodite (Incomplete): Perfect Beauty and Attraction

Other blessings were silent, asleep, but her blessing had been working on her since the moment of (re)birth. Judging from her looks which were eerily similar in ways with her previous life and how people always seemed to just give her what she wanted...the blessing was active 24/7, or as some of her half brothers would say, a passive effect.

(AN: The level of technology is extremely high in the tower. Video Games are popular and widespread. The Arie Family is conservative but the younger members could find ways to get their hands on video game consoles. Especially those who were neglected from the Branch Families. Fun Fact: The Khun Family members are famous for their addiction to video games all over the tower. Ex: Blueberry)

Her sight had returned but that didn't mean things weren't different. She could see better...clearly...and faster as well. Even without anything to compare it to, she could tell that her thinking and processing was a league faster than it was before. Not only could she make out the dust particles of the other side of the wall, her eyes sought the little knots and patterns of the white carpet below.

Blessing of Athena (Incomplete): Pattern Recognition

So it's a passive too? But how am I not overwhelmed by all of this? All of this visual overload?

The answer came immediately.

Blessing of Athena (Complete): Clear Thought & Pattern Recognition

"Well that will certainly make things easier..." It sounded strange to talk to myself. I shouldn't do that again. Awkward...especially after meeting my own previous self.