Zack's eyes slowly opened.
He found himself lying in a hospital room inside the academy.
As he tried to sit up, he noticed something shocking—
the arm that the Original Monster had torn off was now replaced by a mechanical one.
Zack was completely confused.
He stood up from the bed and walked toward the door—
but just as he reached it, Headmaster Relai appeared in front of him.
"Oh, Zack, you're awake."
"Headmaster..."
"How are you feeling?
You were unconscious for nearly two days."
"I'm okay now..."
He glanced at his mechanical arm.
"This arm… it's working… but how?"
"That's the most advanced mechanical arm we've ever created.
It has multiple features.
You'll discover them in time."
"Alright..."
"What about my teammates? Are they okay? Where are they?"
"They're fine.
Most were injured, but nothing serious.
Fortunately, academy backup arrived just in time.
The healers took care of them."
Zack suddenly remembered—Albus.
Panic in his voice, he asked:
"Albus! Where's Albus? How is he?"
The headmaster looked down for a moment, his voice low:
"It's unfortunate, Zack...
Albus is in critical condition."
"What?!"
"Come with me. He's being treated."
The headmaster led Zack to the room where Albus was under intensive care.
Zack saw him lying unconscious—
still, unmoving, pale.
"What's his condition?"
One of the doctors replied:
"We're not sure.
The monster that attacked him… it left something inside him,
almost like a poison, but it's not natural.
We haven't been able to trace where it is in his body."
"Can I sit with him for a while? Alone?"
"Of course," said the headmaster. "Take as much time as you need."
Everyone quietly left the room.
Zack sat beside Albus and looked at his unconscious friend.
"My friend... Albus...
Please forgive me.
I'm the reason you're in this condition.
I spent all this time believing you were a traitor...
but I was wrong.
I was a fool."
Zack quietly speaking as tears welled up in his eyes:
"After my father disappeared… you were the only one who stayed by my side.
You teased me, made me laugh, made me cry.
You were there for me in the academy, always.
And yet, I... I mistook you for my enemy."
"Forgive me, my friend...
I thought you were a traitor.
I believed you were the one who shot me—
but you weren't even alive then.
You weren't alive then, and now... here you are again, on the edge of death."
"What was even the point of being reborn...
if I couldn't understand my own friend,
if I couldn't save you?"
Just then, Albus's eyes slowly opened.
"What kind of nonsense are you saying, Zack?
You sound completely crazy."
Zack looked at him, stunned—then overjoyed.
"No way... Zack, are those tears in your eyes?"
"You've always been like that, haven't you?
Every time I got into a fight, you were the one who cried.
That's just how we were—we lived together, after all.
Those old days... when we laughed, fought, became friends again..."
"Friends? No—we were more like brothers.
You were an orphan, I was an orphan...
But after the awakening ceremony, you changed.
You stopped talking to me.
You started keeping your distance.
I thought maybe you just needed time.
I hoped one day we'd go back to how things were."
"And look... we did become one again...
but not for long."
Zack listened quietly, tears now streaming down his face.
"Forgive me, brother...
I couldn't do anything to save you..."
Albus smiled weakly:
"Why are you asking for forgiveness, Zack?
You tried your best to save me—
and that's more than enough."
But suddenly, Albus's expression began to fade.
His voice trembled:
"My friend... we'll meet... again..."
And with those final words, Albus closed his eyes.
Zack immediately shouted for the doctors—
but it was no use.
Albus had left this world.
To be continue...