The sterile silence of the hospital room was broken only by the steady beep of machines and the soft rustle of curtains. Rover lay unconscious but stable, his face pale but no longer pained. Ayaka sat beside him, arms folded tightly, eyes never leaving his face. Mina stood at the window with a tablet in hand, nervously glancing back now and then. Vex leaned against the wall, headphones around his neck, head down. Professor Kuroda sat quietly, his usually unreadable expression shadowed with worry.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Guild Leader Yoon Ara entered first, followed by Guild Leader Juno. Their presence filled the room with a weight that made everyone pause—not because they were strangers, but because they had come without warning and brought an unspoken tension with them.
Ayaka blinked, standing up quickly. "Guild Leader Yoon… Guild Leader Juno… we weren't expecting you. Is something wrong?"
Mina lowered her tablet. "Did something happen?"
Juno exchanged a glance with Yoon Ara before speaking. "We came to see Rover… but it's not just about that."
Yoon Ara stepped forward, her voice lower. "You didn't see the news?"
Vex looked confused. "What news? The TV here's been out, and none of us were really checking anything. We've been here with him since he passed out."
Professor Kuroda narrowed his eyes. "I assume something happened related to the boy?"
Yoon Ara looked toward Rover. "The confrontation earlier… between three of the most dangerous guild leaders in the world was captured by reporters. A standoff. Celestial Order, the Dark Triad, and a guild from France—Etoile Sanglante."
Mina's voice shook. "Wait, those names… they're all SSS-rank level guilds."
Juno nodded. "And they were talking about Rover. On a live broadcast."
Ayaka's breath caught. "What…?"
Yoon Ara stepped closer to the bed, her expression softening as she gazed at Rover. "He's at the center of something far greater than we imagined. He's no longer just a boy who helped clear a dungeon."
Kuroda's eyes narrowed. "And now the world knows?"
Juno's tone hardened. "Worse. Now the world suspects. The broadcast caught words—about his power… about the end of the world… things that should've never been said out loud."
Ayaka's fists clenched. "Why now? Why expose him like this?"
Yoon Ara shook her head. "That's what we're trying to find out. But you need to prepare. Things are about to change for all of you—and especially for him."
There was a long silence as everyone looked to Rover, unaware of the chaos his survival had unleashed outside these quiet walls.
To be continue...