But Gojaro cut her off, raising a hand. "I know, but calling them that is the easiest way to explain it to others. And, in a way, they kinda are, regardless of whether you can explain it with science."
He gave her a teasing look. "I thought you'd be more excited to hear them called superpowers, being a nerd and all. But I'm sure you'll love the next proposal—it's that we should—"
Before he could finish, the door slamd open, and both of them turned toward the curtain as it was abruptly pushed aside. The Director stepped in, followed by Oscar, who was on crutches and wrapped in bandages. A small girl with white hair clung to the Director's pant leg, her wide eyes peeking out from behind him.
Jade looked at the child and quipped, "Uh, is it bring your kid to work day, sir?"
The Director, his expression serious, shook his head. "No, she's a long story. It appears the Vale monsters have been kidnapping children for so reason, and this one sohow escaped with the help of an Angelic. Gojaro saved her during the battle."
Jade nodded, her mind swirling with even more questions. But before she could ask any, the Director continued.
"Regardless, it's good to see you awake. Please get up and be ready to head to the conference. After that, we'll start a new training regin."
The Director's ntion of a "regin" caught Jade off guard, but before she could ask, she glanced at Oscar, shaking off her thoughts. "I… I'm happy to see you moving, Oscar. But how are you even moving, anyway?"
Oscar spoke in a low, tired tone. "Well, he crushed my left lung with that attack, and as I was lying in a pool of my own blood, I felt a surge of energy. It was like it wrapped around my ruptured lung, holding it together just long enough for support to pick up and perform so surgery. I'm still in worse shape than Gojaro, though, with that prosthetic leg and whatever else he broke."
Gojaro nodded, his expression serious. "It's good you survived, Oscar. But Jade, can you please try to stand up?"
"Uh, yes, sure," Jade replied, her voice hesitant. "Also, where's V? I know he was fighting too, and he got pretty banged up."
Gojaro sighed. "Oh, he's in lockdown right now. Because of the caras and everything, we don't want to give the impression that we're working with any Vale monsters at the mont."
Jade, who felt a flicker of annoyance, took a deep breath and said, "That makes sense, I suppose." She slid her feet along the cold floor, her dical gown flowing with her movents as she slowly stood, her legs trembling slightly. "You could at least get so slippers," she murmured.
As she stood fully, a look of surprise crossed her face. She felt around her jaw and sides, puzzled. "I could've sworn I broke sothing," she remarked, astonished at her own recovery.
"Yeah, it might have to do with the white flas," Gojaro replied as he pulled a tablet from a tray on the counter and handed it to her. "Hey, everyone else, please head back to your living quarters and stand by for further instructions."
The nurses and other staff mbers gave Master Gojaro a respectful bow before quietly exiting the room.
Jade glanced down at the tablet and tapped the play button in the center of the screen, a video starting to play from an overhead cara angle. "When was this captured? And who got this footage?" she asked, her brow furrowed in curiosity.
"It was one of Master Ash's students," Gojaro explained. "She recorded most of the fights and tagged along with her, capturing this in the process."
Jade's eyes focused on the screen as she watched Master Ashaiki engaged in a fierce battle with another figure. She pointed at the screen, asking, "Is this the Masabi person you ntioned?"
Gojaro nodded as Jade resud the video. Suddenly, Masabi vanished in the blink of an eye, the screen glitching slightly before revealing Jade, half engulfed in white flas, catching his fist mid-strike.
She continued watching as the fight intensified, the figures blurring with bursts of energy. Strikes of white flas streaked across the screen, a chaotic dance of power, until the video ended with Jade standing in front of Master Ash, the screen fading to black.
Gojaro glanced at her. "Do you rember any of that? Master Ash said she tried to talk to you, but you didn't respond."
Jade shook her head, her expression puzzled. "No, after my vision with the White Skeleton… everything just went black, and I woke up here."
"I see," Gojaro replied thoughtfully. "Well, I'll have your suit and tie brought to you after you finish your food. Just ring this button when you're done, and we'll get ready for the eting."
Jade sat back down on the bed, glancing around the room. "Isn't the food all over the floor right now, though?"
Gojaro looked down at the scattered ss, his expression turning from serious to bemused. "Huh, it is," he said, scratching his head. "Guess I'll have to get you a fresh one. Unless you're into floor food now?" He smirked, trying to lighten the mood.
Jade chuckled, shaking her head. "Definitely not into floor food. Thanks, though."
"Of course," Gojaro replied with a chuckle before walking off. As he exited, she overheard him tell the nurse, "Make sure you get her a fresh bento box."
Jade sighed, laying back on her pillow as she thought to herself, Honestly, nothing even hurts in the slightest. I feel like I could go run a marathon right now.
About 15 minutes later, the nurse returned, holding a fresh tray. "Sorry about dropping your tray earlier," she said, a touch of embarrassnt in her voice.
"Oh, no worries," Jade replied, waving it off. As the aroma of the food reached her, she smiled. "Thank you, this slls amazing."
She sat up and carefully lifted the lid off the bento box, revealing a beautifully arranged al. The rice was perfectly stead, the vegetables vibrant and crisp, and the at tender and glistening with sauce. Jade picked up the chopsticks and took a bite of the teriyaki chicken, savoring the rich, sweet flavor as it lted in her mouth. Find exclusive stories on empire
Each bite brought a new delight—crispy tempura, savory miso soup, and the refreshing crunch of pickled vegetables. She finished the al with a sip of cold water, feeling more satisfied and energized than she had in a long ti.
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