Umbei often ssaged her updates about students this ti of year because she knew how much the professor cared.
However, the healer had never sent a ssage with such urgency.
'Now.' The word echoed in Noble's head.
How far was she from the Academy?
Even if she flew at top speed, it would take ti to arrive.
There was another way. Noble quickly sized up her options.
'This box is small enough. They won't think anything of it…'
Coming to a decision in a blink, Noble tucked her communicator away.
"Good to see you both. I must be on my way. We should catch up soon, Venster. And Kazuha, good luck on the promotion. I know Fort put in a good word for you."
Kazuha tilted his head.
"Promotion?"
Noble barely caught the end of the word before she disappeared from sight. If she were in a different state of mind, the professor might have been worried if she spoiled a surprise. As it was, she figured either the promotion would or wouldn't happen. That was out of her hands.
What was in her hands materialized in the Dream Realm at the sa ti she did.
"It… it worked!" Noble's amazent was second only to Fort's, who was still sitting on their bed, enjoying a book.
"You're ho? How did you—?"
"No ti to explain!" Noble set the box on the Nightstand and summoned the mory with the governnt papers.
She dished them out and handed them to her husband. "I was never here. I'm needed at the Academy. I'll be back!"
"But!" Fort's objection was t with silence as there was no one left in the room.
'I probably should have told him that I moved my tether this morning.' Noble realized belatedly. There had been no need to do so before. It would have been a happy surprise under normal circumstances, but just now was clearly a shock. Fort would figure it out on his own if he hadn't already.
Noble couldn't think about that right now. Umbei's ssage had her heart racing faster than a train. The quickest way to the Academy was through the Dream Realm, and this way, no one would know that she had co and gone.
'I'll have to fix my tether later, of course.' Noble made a ntal note.
The world reford around her for the second ti in less than a minute. This ti it was her dormitory.
Unlike before, Noble didn't stop to use her Relic to check how she looked. The professor abandoned her room, using her aspect to shut the door as she raced to the infirmary.
Reaching outside, Noble took to the air, leaping over the buildings in one bound.
Child of Promise pulled on her connection to Umbei and searched for her emotional signature. As expected, they led Noble to the sa place.
Reaching the dical facility, the professor did not stop to speak with the guard at the front door. She maneuvered through the halls until she reached the second story.
This was the wing where Noble had been brought unconscious after her second Nightmare. The professor furrowed her brow.
'No. This is the right spot.'
Inside, many voices were overlapping. Noble tentatively knocked on the door.
Umbei opened it, ready to scold whoever was disturbing them. The anger drained from her face as soon as she saw the visitor.
"Noble! You are here! I was afraid when you didn't respond to my ssage that you had finally stayed ho for once." Umbei's remark was filled both with chastisent and relief.
Noble could address her presence in the waking world later. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I need your emotional stability. He's all over the place. We gave him a tranquilizer to calm him down and get him up here for examination, but sedatives don't last long on Awakened bodies." Umbei spoke calmly and quickly.
Noble nodded. She had been called a couple of tis for an emotional ergency over the years. Unstable Awakened could cause no end of destruction, and most dical resources were less effective than magical ans.
"I've got it. I'll keep him calm so you can do your work. One question: who is he?" Noble had yet to hear a na.
Umbei opened the door wider. The room had fallen quiet as a team of technicians and physicians hooked up machines and prepared to run tests.
On the exam table, a semi-conscious young man with dark hair and no emotional signature was being poked with an IV in case more dicine would be needed.
"Ray!" Noble was both elated to see the boy alive and terrified to see him in such a state. She looked at Umbei as she ca into the room. "What happened?"
"That's what we are trying to figure out," Umbei laid her fingers on the boy's wrist to check his pulse.
A mont later, the screen next to him began beeping at a rapid pace. Ray's breathing, too, was abnormal.
Umbei frowned as he moved to check his temperature.
"Everything was fine until we suddenly got no readings from his room at all. He must have woken and imdiately activated his Aspect because his vitals went dark. I ran to the room while calling a code from the guard to check on him, and when I got there, he was being actively restrained. He was screaming about needing to check the other rooms and wouldn't stop when I asked him to slow down. He just kept trying to break free and 'make sure they were ok.' I am not sure if he even realized he was in the waking world. His eyes were as large as saucers. I've rarely seen a new Awakened that out of sorts. It's far more common among those waking from the First Nightmare."
Noble knew what Umbei ant. Sotis, an infected youth found their way to the Awakened Academy before falling asleep, or when a transport was made from another facility for various reasons. The ones who survived the trial often woke up disoriented and even delirious. Most people who ca out of the Solstice had found a citadel or gateway and knew they were safe before returning.
There was only one other ti Noble could rember Awakened coming back from the Dream Realm for the first ti in great distress. That was when the survivors of the Forgotten Shore had returned en masse. Noble had needed to work overti that day to assure the poor young people that they were really safe until they could be reunited with their families.
'That's a day I'll never forget.'
Noble looked down at the young man.
What could have caused Ray to act so erratically?
The dicine had not knocked him out—that would have sent him back to the Dream Realm before he could anchor himself to his desired citadel—so he had heard everything they were saying in his dazed state. However, it wasn't until he saw the professor's face that he was able to overco the effects of the drugs in his system. He grabbed Noble's arm and pulled at her, his eyes growing almost as wide as his face.
"MONSTER!"
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