I walk through one of the many hallways of the estate, mud and gunk under my shoes staining the red carpets with every step. Commodus had parted ways with me, searching for my mother in order to break the news of my decision to her.
My muscles ached and my head was still throbbing. I could feel the hot blood coming from the large gash on the side of my head. My skeleton felt as if it wanted to fall apart. My ribs and back were no better. I probably broke a bone or two as well. Commodus had humiliated me. I walked away bruised and bloodied while he was almost completely fine. The only attack of mine that actually landed against him was my clothesline, which caught him by surprise.
My clothes were stained with both blood and mud, no look for a son of a vicar. I could feel the heavy gazes of the servants and guards. I didn't want to feel them, but they were everywhere. There was no point in avoiding them. Some of them still showed some respect, avoiding looking at me, while others blatantly stared. Though they didn't say anything in front of me, I could hear their hushed whispers. They knew something had happened to me, yet they didn't even try to treat nor comfort me, leaving me in pain. I just continue walking with my head held low.
I passed by a group of maids who were walking outside of my room. They were my wife's attendants. They gasped when they saw me, asking me questions, "Are you alright! Shall we help you?" I ignore them and pass them into my room. I hear their hushed whispers as I enter. "What happened to him?" "His face is all bloodied!" "He is filthy!"
As I shut the door behind me, my eyes fixate onto Aurelia, who sits on a chair, staring out the window.
"Im back…" I say trying to get her attention. "Welcome back," she says, her gaze turning toward me.
I watch as her eyes widen in shock when seeing my appearance. She quickly gets up from her seat, rushing towards me, her face full of concern. "What happened to you?" she asks, pushing my hair back while looking at the wound on the side of my head."
"Commodus kicked my ass," I say, chuckling.
Aurelia doesn't laugh and instead ignores my comments. She sits me down and calls for her attendants who had just left her side. As they enter, they quickly begin to treat my wounds while Aurelia starts the shower. Before I even had a moment to talk with her, they had stripped me and forced me into the shower, cleaning my wounds and stopping the bleeding.
I wince in pain as they apply the disinfectant.
I am quickly led to the medical room and placed on a stretcher. My head still groggy and my vision, a bit blurred. I couldnt help but groan as my wounds still stung from the disinfectant
Before I even get a chance to talk to my wife, my stretcher is rolled into the bio-repair machine.
As the lights around me in the machine turn on, I can hear the small slits of the machine opening.
I hear the sound of clicking as the small spider-like nanobots enter the machine. I can feel them as they start to climb onto my body. They tickle my skin as they crawl, searching for wounds. I feel thousands of their legs touching my skin. I am held down by constraints in order to restrict moving. It is like torture. I feel them as they crawl into every scratch and scar. I can feel them inside my body, crawling through my skin, repairing my bones, strengthening my cells. I can feel them in my hair, and crawling up my neck, wishing to enter the large gash on my head.
I scream as they crawl through my eyes, ears, and mouth. I can feel them moving about inside my head, adjusting parts of my brain. Each of their slight movements hurt like hell. They cleanse my pores and body from any gunk. I can feel them stretching my skin, and covering their repairs. The pain was unbearable and it didn't take me long to black out.
…
I stand in the middle of a dimly lit medical room, stretching, getting a feel for my new body. It honestly feels kind of foreign to me. I have never felt this refreshed or healthy before. Due to me only ever dueling and training in the illusion room, it was unnecessary for me to ever use the machine. In fact, I've only ever used the bio-repair machine once when I was little, and back then I didn't really get to feel its full effects.
Aurelia stands in the doorway, watching me with great intensity as I start to explore my capabilities.
I turn to the mirror, looking at my reflection. "How do I look?" I ask her, chuckling. The machine not only repaired my broken bones and wounds, but also tended to my pores and the rest of my body making my skin practically glow. I don't think i've ever looked this good before.
Aurelia doesn't answer. Instead she gently strides over toward me, her small hands cupping my face as she inspects my skin. My skin feels slightly stretched, but theres no pain, no scars no open wounds. Just smooth perfect skin.
"You had a concussion, 2 broken ribs, and dozens of bruises." She says, her voice, a mixture of concern and relief as she continues examining every part of my naked body. her fingers trace up my abdomen, gently glossing over my abs and chest. "But luckily, it seems that the machine worked better than expected. You look even better than before"
She continues to glance over me, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and excitement while her cheeks turn blush red. I cant help but smile seeing how infatuated she is with my body. It's comforting knowing that she still cares about me, even after ive caused her all this distress.
Still, something bothers her. I watch as Aurelia's expression transforms into something more of confusion. "What happened? Where's the chancellor?"
I look at her, exhaling sharply. "Well, Commodus took me to this old sparring ground that he used to share with my dad. He wanted to test my skills and so we sparred. As you can see, I lost pretty badly." I tell her, avoiding her narrow eyes.
"And he just left you like that?" Aurelia asks, ignoring the part about taking me to an old sparring ground.
"Well..."
"Why did you not go to the med bay, or ask anyone for help?" She continues, her voice filled with confusion and anger.
Realizing that this was the perfect time to tell her the news, I decided to break it to her. "Well, i-i" I stuttered, attempting to avoid her menacing glare. "I decided to join Commodus as his apprentice."
I watch as her brows start to furrow while her lips fold into a frown. I stand in silence, waiting for her response. "I don't that was a good idea. Look what he did to you! He beat you to a pulp! If this is just to 'test your skills,' just imagine what the real training is going to be like!" she said, her eyes glued to the floor.
I can see the fear in her eyes, the worry for me. I could tell that various scenarios were running through her mind, I needed to calm her down.
"Aww. i'm glad you're worried about me."
I grab her waist, giving her my brightest smile, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Stop it!" she yells, shoving me away with great force. stumbling back, I decide to give her some space, vent out her frustrations.
Still, my heart pains watching her push me away.
"Why are you never serious! Have you even thought about what accepting his offer means!?" her voice cracks as she continues to breakdown.
I frown, hearing the anger in her words. I thought that she'd understand that I was doing this for us. That I am trying to protect us. That I am trying to get us a life of luxury and comfort, without all the pain and suffering that comes with it.
"You are going to have to leave me for who knows how long. Are you really going to leave me alone? Are you really going to just abandon me?" Her voice rises "What about your mother?" she asks frantically as her face begins to crumple, tears forming in her ruby red eyes
I am quick to comfort her, bringing her into my arms. "Im not abandoning you at all. Im just preparing for our future" I tell her, attempting to calm her down again. "My mother will protect you, at least until you reach the University. There you will be protected and free to do whatever you wish, and by the time you graduate, we'll be reunited." I tell her, attempting to stop her crying.
"But I don't care about the future! Who do you think you are, making decisions for the both of us? I never asked you to make this decision for us!"
I grab her cheek, wiping away her tears, forcing her to look me in the eyes. "Look, I love you, and ill do anything for you." I say, my voice low and honest "I need to do this, and I need you to be strong. We can still call and text everyday. Ill still be with you, just not in person..." I tell her. "Call, text, whatever you need i'm here."
Aurelia doesn't reply. Instead she just buries her face in my chest, letting her tears fall freely.