EXISTENCE: Recovery

CHAPTER 9: Doubts

"Hey, Adam."

"Hm? What is it?"

"If you ever had a doubt about something you wanted to do...what would you do about it?"

"Me? Hmm...that's a tough question, Boss."

Gabriel smiled. "Isn't it? I don't know if it's something I would do...or if it's something I wouldn't do. So it's a hard choice for someone like me to make."

Adam raised his hand. "But, Boss, what's the choice? What is it you're trying to do?"

Gabriel looked at him and gave him a warm smile. "It's nothing too important. I think Juan would be a better person to talk to about it."

Adam pouted. "What, I'm not cool enough to know?"

Gabriel ruffled his friend's head. "You'll know when you're ready, man."

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Adam opened his eyes, fixing his gaze up at his ceiling.

Where am I?

He felt something by his side, and turned to see a smiling Jibreel, who happily started nuzzling his face. He slowly sat up in his bed and removed a hand gently from under his covers and patted the cat back, watching as he mewed with delight. He turned his head slightly to see, softly asleep while sat on a chair, Rym. He reached out his hand and softly pat it on her head, causing the peach-haired girl to slowly open her eyes. She immediately raised her head, looking very flustered.

"A-Adam! You're awake!"

"Yeah," he smiled. "Thanks for checking up on me, Rym."

"It's no problem at all! You know that!"

Adam rubbed his head. "Well, I mean, even after...you know."

Rym gave him a warm smile. "I can see how hard you're trying Adam...even when things have been unfair. It's fine."

Adam smiled, then winced. "Wh...What happened-" He looked down at his chest and saw the bandages. "...oh."

Rym giggled. "That's not how someone who got stabbed would normally react."

Adam gave a sheepish smile. "I mean, I guess I didn't have time to process it? I don't know." He placed a hand on his chest. "So I actually was hurt, huh..." He looked back up. "Oh! Virgil! I remember seeing Virgil! Where is he?"

"He helped me bring you here." Rym stood up and walked over to the windows. "He left a little later, though. I have no idea what he's doing now." She opened up Adam's window, letting a soft breeze in. "I might just leave, too, now that you're awake."

"You really have to go?"

Rym stopped for a second, blushed, and smiled. "Y-yeah. My dad needs to get his dinner somehow, right? If he ever touched a stove, I'm sure he'd burn the house down."

Adam nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense, I guess."

Rym maintained her smile. "It's not like I won't see you tomorrow, Adam. Right?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I guess I'm just a little bit out of it. I'll see you tomorrow, Rym."

She started for the door. "Don't push yourself, Adam. Okay?"

Adam nodded. "Don't worry about me. And thanks." He gave her his trademark grin.

Rym waved gently before leaving Adam in his room. She closed the door behind her.

He's still forcing that smile.

Adam looked back down at his chest, and took a good look at his palms before clenching his fists. "What's going on? Why doesn't any of this make sense? When did Ethan decide to start coming for me? Eve is... Hawa is... gone, right? So why?" He turned to Jibreel, as if the cat were to give him some kind of answer. "Do you think...it's all about revenge?"