Beyond

Chapter 48

Jesse

A white ceiling greeted me when I opened my eyes. As my vision adjusted, I got up from the bed and looked around. I found myself in a small room, and Mrs. Briar was sitting on the side, fast asleep.

"How long was I out?" I blurted out, but it was loud enough for Mrs. Briar to hear and wake up. Her eyes widened as I stared at her.

"You're awake! Is there anything that you need? Are you hungry? Thirsty?" she paused, "How do you feel? Are you alright?" she bombarded me with questions.

I feel empty.

"I'm fine," I said. I gripped my hands into a tight fist and took a deep breath, trying to muster up the courage to smile. "I feel... fine."

"Wait here. I'll call a doctor to check on you," Mrs. Briar said.

I nodded my head, and the moment she went out of the room, my smile faded. My body felt fine, but I feel exhausted and drained for some reason. My back hit the bed with a sigh, and I stared mindlessly at the ceiling in front of me.

Is Payne alright?

Mrs. Briar and the doctor came in. The doctor used his Beyond to check up on me and found neither abnormalities nor any signs of assault other than a scar on my chest. "...Though your physical appearance is fine, I'm more worried about your mental well-being.

"The knights who saved you said that you keep saying the word 'pain' repeatedly as they help you get inside the Sanctuary." The doctor sighed. "You must've experienced a lot of suffering in that hell. It's a good thing you're finally safe here at the Sanctuary. Don't worry, time will help you heal."

"Pain...?" I muttered in confusion. "Pain... pain... oh, it's Payne." I couldn't help but chuckle, which made the both of them look at me like I had lost my mind.

The doctor looked at me sympathetically before turning to Mrs. Briar. "It might take a while for him to recover from that traumatic experience." The doctor was about to touch my hair, but I instinctively pushed his hand away from me. "You'll be fine. Those Dusks... They must've really broken you."

"No, actually—"

"Have some rest. You'll need it to recover. I'll be back to check up on you." The doctor walked out of the room. Mrs. Briar looked at me worriedly—she was set on thinking that I had become crazy.

"I'm not crazy. You know yourself that I don't like my hair being touched," I said. Mrs. Briar just sighed and eyed me with pity. I gave up completely as it felt like I was talking to a wall, so I just stared at the ceiling instead.

I couldn't help but recall the moments that I had with Payne. During the night, he would knock on my door and call my name. I would then invite him inside so that we could sleep together. I couldn't help but smile, remembering those moments. I couldn't help but hope that it would happen again.

My eyes widened when I realized that I wasn't wearing the coat that Payne gave me. "WHERE IS MY COAT?!" I screamed in panic. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked around, trying to find it.

That's the only thing I have left from Payne.

"...It's here." Mrs. Briar handed me the coat. Relief washed over me, and I abruptly took it away from her and hugged it tightly.

I lay down on the bed, my body relaxing and my heart calming down. I closed my eyes and relished the warm and comforting scent the coat was giving me.

I miss him already.

What should I do now? I feel like everything has become dull.

I was woken up by the abrupt opening of the door. I instantly got up to see who did it and glared at their way. Ricky's brown eyes lighted up when he saw me. He was out of breath as if some Soultakers were chasing him.