Swan Song [Dark Fantasy | Progression Fantasy | Slowburn]

Chapter 42 - Song of Swans


[Volume 1 Epilogue | Chapter 42: Song of Swans]

White walls again.

The sterile scent of antiseptic, the steady beep of monitoring equipment, and sunlight filtering through half-drawn blinds. For a moment, time seemed to fold in on itself. Acacia could have been waking up from that first hospital stay, before Nemesis, before mercury painted the night in silver streams, and before he'd glimpsed the true depths of Pandora's designs.

But something was different.

Breathing.

Not his own—another rhythm entirely, steady and deep despite a slight catch that spoke of hidden pain. Acacia turned his head and stared at an unexpected companion in the white space. Elias Scryer lay in the adjacent bed, chest wrapped in layers of gauze that couldn't quite hide the angry red staining beneath. Though exhaustion and injury dimmed his usual vibrant energy, his sleeping face still held that fundamental earnestness that had initially captivated Acacia.

"You're awake. The nurses said you might sleep through morning rounds." His mint eyes opened with surprising clarity, and he quickly found Acacia.

Questions tangled in Acacia's throat—how, why, what happened after Malleus—but guilt rose faster, threatening to choke him.

"Elias, I—"

"Don't." Terse, it carried an unexpected steel. "Whatever you're about to apologize for, don't."

"But you're here because—"

"Because I chose to fight." Elias shifted, wincing as the movement pulled at his wounds. "Same as you. The hospital's overflowing with the people Malleus drained—they're doubling up rooms where they can. Good thing too. It gives me a chance to make sure you don't spend too much time brooding."

"I don't brood," Acacia protested weakly, but the familiar banter felt hollow against the weight of what had happened. "Your chest..."

"Will heal. She stabbed me below the heart. Father arrived before she could finish it. The doctors say there won't even be much scarring. They've brought over healers from Straiton who specialize in Enhancement Thaumaturgy."

Something in the way he said "father" made Acacia study his friend more carefully. There was tension there, old pain mixing with fresh uncertainty. But before he could find words to bridge that gap, Elias spoke again.

You know what's strange?" Elias's gaze drifted to where dust motes danced in the sunbeams. "I always thought being a knight meant standing alone against hopeless odds to defend the code of chivalry. But maybe... maybe it's…something different. Perhaps…I've been misguided all along."

The silence that followed carried a different quality than the clinical quiet of before. It held the space for a thousand unsaid things, for half-formed hopes and fears and the ghosts of choices not yet made.

Acacia could only stare back at him.

"I know that look. It's one that counts every injury, and every moment you can't prevent. You're not alone in this, Acacia."

"...Does it get easier to watch people fight battles you can't help with? Seeing them take hits they don't have to?" he asked finally, hating how small his voice sounded.

"No," he admitted. "But maybe it's enough to know we're fighting beside them, not instead of them."

The morning light painted their shared silence in shades of gold, turning the sterile hospital air into something almost magical.

"You know, you could've picked a better time to get philosophical," Acacia sighed. "Maybe when I'm not full of painkillers and you don't have a hole in your chest."

"Says the one who broke out of this same hospital to fight assassins according to the staff. You're not exactly a shining example of good judgment yourself. Besides, I needed to distract myself from how badly I want to punch you in the jaw."

"That's different. I had a plan."

"Oh? Was getting beaten half to death part of that brilliant strategy?"

"Maybe."

They shared a look before breaking into laughter; it would have been perfectly wholesome if not for the grunts from stitches being pulled too much from involuntary movements.

"Speaking of plans," Elias said once their mirth subsided, "Leila's been terrorizing the hospital staff. Apparently she tried to break in last night with Novascope still assembled. The security guards nearly had heart attacks."

"...She did what?"

"Yeaaah... it took Mr. and Mrs. Trafalgar an hour to talk her down. She's probably plotting another attempt as we speak." His expression grew thoughtful. "She was worried about you, you know. We all were."

Acacia felt heat rise to his cheeks.

"I didn't ask anyone to—"

"Oh my days, can't you just accept that people care about your wellbeing?"

The statement hung between them, carrying more weight than either cared to admit. Acacia's gaze fell to his bandaged hands where they rested atop the covers, and he tried to find a response that didn't sound ungrateful or defensive or...or…

"Thank you," he finally managed. "For everything."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Whenever he said that disgusting word, it felt weird on his tongue.

He wasn't sure if it would ever go away.

The peaceful moment ended abruptly as the harmony of numerous feet and stressed-out medical professionals rushing down the hallway disrupted them.

"Mr. Belmont, I swear to the Convergence—" Dr. Amherst's anguish carried clearly through the door before it swung open. The elderly doctor looked like he'd aged a decade since their last encounter as his usual pristine coat showed signs of what had clearly been a trying night. Behind him, the entire Trafalgar family filed in—Sirius practically bouncing with barely contained energy, Eleanor maintaining her usual grace despite obvious concern, and Leila…

Leila looked ready to commit murder.

"You inconsiderate trash-brained bastard! Do you have any idea—"

She started forward, only for her mother to catch her arm easily.

"Lady Trafalgar, what did we discuss about maintaining a calm environment for recovering patients?" Dr. Amherst cut in wearily, as if he had this conversation with her numerous times.

"But he—"

"Will be going absolutely nowhere." The doctor's gaze fixed on Acacia like a targeting spell. "In fact, I've arranged for hourly checks. Any unauthorized movement and I'll have you transferred to the secure ward. With restraints."

Sirius couldn't quite suppress his snort of amusement. "Now, Victor, surely—"

"Don't you start." Dr. Amherst jabbed a finger in the inventor's direction. "Your daughter tried to bring a military-grade Mystic Gear into the hospital. Twice."

"It was just Novascope! And I wasn't going to shoot anyone!" Leila protested.

"The security footage suggests otherwise."

Eleanor's perfect composure cracked just enough to reveal a smile. "I assure you, Doctor, we'll ensure both patients remain exactly where they are this time." Her gaze swept over both boys. "Though, perhaps some additional monitoring wouldn't go amiss."

"Already arranged." Dr. Amherst's clipboard materialized with suspicious speed. "I've assigned Nurse Jensen to this ward. She once kept General Flemmings confined to bed rest for a week. After he tried to attend a war council with three broken ribs."

Elias made a choking sound that might have been either horror or admiration.

"Now then," the doctor continued, his pen poised like a weapon, "shall we discuss your various injuries? In detail?" The glint in his eyes suggested this would be less a medical consultation and more an extended lecture on poor life choices.

Acacia caught Elias's eye in a silent plea for help, but his friend only grinned.

"Doctor, I'd love to hear more about the proper recovery protocols! Acacia seems to need a refresher course," Elias said so enthusiastically that it fooled exactly no one.

Acacia blanched.

"Traitor!" he hissed, but any further protest was drowned out by Dr. Amherst's voice detailing exactly which of Acacia's internal organs had suffered damage during his latest ill-advised escapade.

"I'm sure Mr. Belmont would benefit greatly from such a review," Eleanor added, her serene smile doing nothing to hide the mischief in her eyes.

"Oh yes!" Sirius practically bounced. "We could take notes! Also a proper manual for future reference?"

"With diagrams," Leila suggested darkly.

Dr. Amherst's expression shifted into something that made Acacia wish he was facing Nemesis, Apollo, and Malleus again—all at the same time. "Well then... let's begin with the basics of hospital security protocols..."

He flipped through his clipboard.

"The first and most crucial point is that hospital stays are not optional pit stops between reckless endeavors. They are prescribed periods of recovery that require patience, compliance, and most importantly, staying in one's assigned bed." His glare fixed pointedly on Acacia and added more emphasis than usual on the last few words.

"I have a question," Sirius raised his hand like an eager student. "What about supervised walks? Perhaps with some experimental mobility-enhancement—"

"Absolutely not. I've read your patent applications, Mr. Trafalgar. No experimental anything." Dr. Amherst didn't even look up from his notes.

"But my latest prototype—"

"Dear," Eleanor interjected smoothly, "we should focus on conventional recovery methods for now. The boys have had quite enough excitement."

Leila, who had been gradually inching closer to Acacia's bed with what she probably thought was subtlety, froze under her mother's knowing look. "I was just going to check his bandages!"

"With what appears to be a partially assembled Mystic Gear in your pocket?"

"It's just a diagnostic tool!"

"Young lady, I've treated enough Trafalgar 'diagnostic tools' to last several lifetimes. Need I remind you of the Incident with the Enhanced Recovery Accelerator?" prodded Dr. Amherst.

Sirius blushed. "That was a minor calibration error—"

"The patient grew a third arm."

"Temporarily!"

"It took three weeks to fade."

"But think of the research potential—"

"Sirius." Eleanor's tone could have frozen lightning.

Elias, watching this exchange like a particularly entertaining theater production, caught Acacia's eye.

"Is it always like this?" he whispered.

"Actually, they're being relatively calm today," Acacia whispered back.

"I heard that!" Leila hissed, momentarily distracted from whatever device she was trying to smuggle in. "You don't get to comment on my family when you can't even stay in a hospital bed for twenty-four hours!"

"Says the girl who tried to break in with a literal sniper rifle."

"For protection!"

"From what, bedridden patients?"

"Children, perhaps we should let Dr. Amherst finish his explanation? I'm sure he has other patients to attend to." Eleanor cut through their bickering.

The doctor's grateful look spoke volumes.

"Yes, well, as I was saying..." He launched into an exegesis on recovery protocols, complete with increasingly creative threats about what would happen if certain patients decided to attempt another premature departure.

Acacia only half-listened as something warm and unfamiliar expanded in his chest as he watched the scene unfold. Sirius was still trying to sneak diagrams of his latest invention past Eleanor's watchful eye. Leila had given up on subtlety and was now openly arguing with her father about the therapeutic applications of experimental technology. Dr. Amherst looked like he was seriously reconsidering his career choices.

And through it all, Eleanor maintained her serene presence, somehow managing to prevent both property damage and attempted escapes while making it look effortless.

It was chaos.

It was family.

It was...home?

The thought caught him off guard, bringing with it a surge of emotion he wasn't prepared to examine. But before he could retreat into his usual defenses, Elias nudged him gently.

"Hey, you okay?"

Acacia looked around the room once more, at these people who had, somehow, become more than just allies or acquaintances in a span of a few days. At Leila's fierce protectiveness, Sirius's boundless enthusiasm, and Eleanor's steady warmth. Even Dr. Amherst's exasperated concern felt like it belonged.

He met Elias's gaze, and for once, the words came easily.

"At ease."

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