Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 48 - Shock and Awe

Chapter 48 - Shock and Awe

Right after the match, Myrrh and I rushed to the arena to check on our friend. The air was thick with tension, the faint scent of smoke and antiseptic lingering from the aftermath of the battle. As we arrived, the sight before us sent a chill down my spine. Neil lay on a stretcher, his body limp and pale, being wheeled away by medics clad in hazmat suits. Their hurried movements spoke volumes. Fei stood nearby, her tear-streaked face crumpled in despair, her voice hoarse from crying Neil's name over and over, as if sheer willpower could wake him.

Neil was unconscious, but the sight of him was deeply unsettling. Glowing crimson veins had crept over half his body, their eerie luminescence casting an otherworldly glow against his pallid skin. His entire left side was engulfed in this terrifying affliction, the veins pulsating faintly like living things. Even in his unconscious state, his face betrayed sheer agony, his features contorted as though locked in an eternal grimace of pain.

"What happened?" Myrrh's voice cracked as she broke the silence.

"I-It's his sickness!" Fei sobbed, her voice trembling with despair. "He's ill!"

Before we could process her words, Cindy and Remuel appeared, their expressions painted with alarm. They had arrived too late. The medics had already secured Neil in the space ambulance. The vehicle's sirens pierced the air, flashing red and blue lights illuminating the somber scene. It was a dire emergency, and none of us dared to hold them back. Time was Neil's enemy now.

"What happened to Neil?" Cindy's voice wavered, her worry palpable.

Myrrh turned to Cindy, her gaze heavy with uncertainty and sorrow. She shook her head slowly. "Fei said it's some kind of sickness. Neil must have been hiding it for a long time."

The weight of her words settled on us like a suffocating fog. Our faces mirrored the same worry, the same helplessness. Neil—always so vibrant, so full of energy and that goofy, infectious smile—was now a fragile, broken figure. It was hard to reconcile the image of the cheerful friend we knew with the person lying on that stretcher.

 Yet, deep down, a bitter truth gnawed at me. I'd read somewhere that people often mask their struggles with laughter, using joy as a shield. Perhaps Neil's carefree demeanor had been his way of coping all along. And now, that shield had shattered, leaving him vulnerable and exposed.

Soon, we heard rushing footsteps. When we turned toward the arena entrance, we saw Dianca, the examination's host, running as if her life depended on it. She clutched the end of her skirt in one hand to keep it from slowing her down, her urgency palpable.

"Myrrh! Cindy! Where's Mister Orbeus?" Dianca's voice was breathless as she skidded to a halt, her chest heaving.

"The space ambulance has already departed," Myrrh replied, her tone edged with worry. "Fei is with him, but we're still quite anxious."

"I was shocked to see him convulsing earlier," Dianca said, her voice trembling. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Is he going to be okay?"

"We don't know for sure," I answered, unable to hide the uncertainty in my tone.

Remuel stepped forward and gently held Cindy's hand. "We'll go to the hospital and check on Neil's condition."

"I'll come with you!" Dianca exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart. "Mister Miles Oberyn will take over announcer duties for this afternoon, so I'm completely free. Besides, I'm so worried about Mister Orbeus."

"Okay then," Cindy nodded in approval. Just before Myrrh and I could utter a word, Cindy turned her sharp gaze on us, her expression firm. "You two, stay here. Your second match for this tournament will start shortly."