05: COMPREHENSION

"Okay, I don't see any major issues with you. I think it's safe to say you're ready to be released. If you're ready to depart, you can leave right now " said the nurse. 

If you're ready to depart, you can leave right now " said the nurse.  hank you very much, nurse. You have no idea how long I've been looking forward to hearing it. Luciana remarked, "It's like I've been trapped in this room for all eternity." 

"Well, I'm delighted to hear you're doing well,” said the nurse.

said the nurse. Luciana rose to her feet and made her way to the front entrance. "Mr. Barr, and you as well. The doctors have agreed that you are also fit to be discharged after additional evaluation.

They have performed a last examination on you last evening, and they have said you can return to the hotel,” 

"Finally!" exclaimed Jalon. "I've had enough of the mashed potatoes and the hospital water that tastes like pure chlorine. He was eager to return to the hotel's room service and, for once, order a decent meal. "How about me, Doctor?" Norval was the one who inquired. Jalon couldn't help but guffaw in response to his question. 

"You were still on crutches the last time I checked, man. Don't you think it's a little early to start flying when you've developed wings?” He was mocked by Jalon. The nurse admonished him, saying, "Now that's not polite of you to say, sir Barr." Jalon appeared remorseful. It caught them off guard. Perhaps he was looking for the nurse's phone number.

"But, mr Norval, he is correct. You're still healing, and your ankle isn't completely healed. You'll have to stay here for a few more days while you wait for the doctors' approval so you may be discharged as soon as possible. Otherwise, you should get some rest. Don't worry, we'll meet up with your pals soon after this,” Luciana sought to soothe him. 

“All right, doctor,” he murmured, his voice hushed. "Norval, don't be concerned. I'm sure we'll pay you a visit at some point". Luciana reassured him, “You'll be up and running in no time.” 

Jalon burst out laughing. Luciana turned to face him and punched him in the shoulder. Jalon cried out, unafraid to show his distress. He wanted to fight back, but when he saw her scorching eyes, he hid his head like a scared cat. "Okay, great, we'll pay you a visit when we have the opportunity,” he responded, fearful of another blow landing on his shoulder. "It's fine, guys; I'll be fine. Norval remarked, giving them a thumbs up at the end of his address, "I'll see you back at the hotel when I get out of the hospital." As they walked out of the ward, they waved goodbye. As they walked out of The Wing of the building where the hospital was located, they ran into a familiar face. Terrence, the complex manager. He was still wearing his worn-out Cap and a promotional polo shirt.

"Hello, I hope you're both doing well. I hand-picked the greatest doctors and nurses to look after you."  He extended his hand to give them a hearty handshake, saying, "I hope they did a really wonderful job."

"Mister Terrence, the medical care was excellent.  They did a really good job, I have never felt this good,”  Luciana said, trying to ride off  Mr terrence's enthusiasm.

"Well, that's great to hear. I was cheering you on from the stands. You put on a fantastic show, and I was fortunate enough to be in the audience watching you perform at your best. This class is incredibly talented, and whoever rises to the top and becomes the next champion, you have earned it."  Mr Terrance commended them, saying, "If only there were more than one champion of this Kingdom, you'd all be worth it to be given the title." 

Luciana said, "That's good of you to say, sir Terrence." 

"That's nice of you to say mister  Terrence,” Luciana said. "Mister Jalon, how about you? How are things going for you today?” Mr Terrence inquired, his face beaming.

“Well, I Am Alive, so that's a start,” Jalon said, turning to him with the harshest of glances and the driest of responses.

Terrence gave him a puzzled look.

He made the decision to shrug off his sass. Luciana had had enough of punching Jalon’s  shoulder. "Your transportation was taken care of by the company. I believe there is a bus waiting for you at the door; simply walk over to the entrance and you'll be back at your hotel in no time. I apologise for having to hold Norval for such a long time. Because his injuries were not as slight as yours, he required additional treatment from the medics."  Mr Terrance tried to reassure the two candidates by saying, "But he will be back in the hotel and waiting for the second phase of the trials with you in no time."

“ Well, we're confident that you'll look after him as best you can. What about international students? “Have they returned to the Kingdoms or are they still in the area?” Luciana had inquired. 

"They're still at the hotel, I believe, because they're needed in the second phase. “Why am I inquiring?”

“ There's nothing significant here. “I was just curious,” 

Mr Terrence answered, "Well, they'll be staying with us for a while longer."

"When did you say the bus will leave once more?" Impatiently, Jalon inquired.

Impatiently, Jalon inquired. Mr. Barr, come this way,” Mr Terrence said. Mr Terrence led them to the bus, allowing them to return to the hotel with a few items from the Sports Complex. He gave them two T-shirts and pens with the company's logo on them as a reward. They both accepted it cheerfully, attempting not to appear dissatisfied with the nature of the gifts. Mister Terrence didn't seem to mind either; he seemed to be unconcerned about most things. The trip back to the hotel took a long time, not because of the enormous distance, but because of the deafening silence. Jalon was not in the mood to converse, so Luciana had to find other ways to pass the time. The bus had just two passengers, three if you included the driver. Jalon listened to music on his smartphone, his ears muffled by his over-sized headphones. Luciana had fleeting thoughts of bothering him, but she swiftly dismissed them. She eventually decided to leave him alone, deciding that it was not worth bothering him. On the plus side, she was now able to enjoy Sunset City's splendour. What a sight it was to see the tall towers that covered most of the countryside. Some had unique architecture, which was enhanced by custom-made mirrors and windows. Others were so high in the sky that their tops were obscured by clouds.Luciana, who was the Princess of Ithea never had the opportunity to travel around the country and visit the sites. She only got to go on school trips once in a while, and it was the only time she could call herself a traveller. Her father, on the other hand, kept her confined to the Castle. It was either that or staying at IAA till the school closed to continue her education. People would have assumed that as Princess of the Kingdom, she would be escorting her around with bodyguards and protection wherever she went. but her father cared less about her and more about his fashion. Indeed, one could argue that he treated his clothes better than he did his children. Luciana had two brothers, one of whom she was never able to meet for a long time. He was the oldest, and their father sent him to Seolara as soon as he was old enough to drive. Luciana's younger brother was also indoctrinated into Luciana's way of life. It entailed a great deal of studying, with him spending more time in school than at home for the majority of his life. They never got a chance to complain, and they knew they didn't have the courage to do so, or they'd have to pay the price. They didn't want to see their father upset because they knew what would happen next. 

Luciana's thoughts strayed away from her. She began to reminisce about her earlier years, when life was more fun and games than the unpleasant events she had just experienced. However, on some days, her father would get up and disrupt the fun and games of her younger days with his poisonous attitude. Those were her least favourite days. She had a thousand and one reasons to despise her father, and she was relieved that the kingdom had recently begun to glimpse his true colours. She continued to wander deeper and deeper into her thoughts until she was abruptly brought back to reality. Jalon stood in front of her, poking her shoulder with a straw he found on the bus floor, she glanced forward. “What the hell is that?” Luciana asked, revolted by the straw that looked like it had been stepped on.

As he went off the bus, Jalon said, "Get your butt off the seat, we're here." Despite the fact that the Sports Complex and the hotel were only a few miles apart, the climatic change was significant. Luciana and Jalon left the sports complex without putting on any heavy clothing. However, as soon as they got at the hotel, they were stunned by the bitter cold. She started shivering as soon as she stepped off the bus, and her teeth gnawed at each other. To combat the chill, she began rubbing her biceps with her palms. Despite the fact that it appeared to be ineffective, she went ahead and did it.

Jalon hurriedly entered the hotel. Despite the fact that he was aware of the personnel sweeping the halls, he appeared unconcerned. He casually walked along the corridors, leaving dirty footprints on the marble. Luciana felt compelled to apologise for him, but she didn't want to get involved. When the receptionist noticed them, she waved them over. Jalon didn't even bother to lift his hand in response to Luciana's wave. Anything else was unimportant to him because his head and eyes were glued to the phone's screen. They entered the elevator and pressed the button on the console to begin moving the elevator upstairs. Even when she was inside the building, the cold bothered her. She was eager to get to her room and relax in the warm air conditioning.

"Hey, are you ordering room service?” Luciana asked Jalon, who was still transfixed to  his phone. "I mean, yes. Why are you asking? " Jalon replied cautiously.

As Luciana boarded off the elevator, She turned to him and said,  "order for two,” 

"why the hell would I make an order for 2? don't you have your own room?” Jalon  answered.

Luciana threw a wave that offered him no answer. Jalon  smacked his forehead  muttering, “ the things I  have to endure   with this people,”

/……………………………………………………………………………………../

The room was absolutely silent. The only thing that could be heard was the booming sounds of the announcers on the screen. Norval was resting on his bed, quietly munching a packet of chips as he watched the news. There was a briefing regarding the death of their school director. He questioned how the kingdom came to be in such a predicament. a famous figure had passed away, murdered nonetheless, and still the kingdom seemed like nothing had happened. businesses were carrying on as usual and not many people talked about it. Perhaps political assassinations were the norm of the Kingdom, Norval  told himself.As he reached in the bag  another chip, he heard the door gently creek open. The light from the corridors spilled into the room,Casting the shadow of a figure that was standing on the door. It seemed a little bit eerie. If it were a doctor, then there would be no issue walking into the ward. however the figure seemed to loiter around the entrance for quite some time like  He wasn't sure whether He was authorised to enter the room or not. Norval’s Suspicions increased. 

"Who is it? reveal yourself,”  Norval  focused his words towards the door. The figure finally entered the room and immediately Norval  so his foot walked into the room, he quickly recognized who he was. The Long Grey robe was something not to be mistaken for anyone else. It was Wardrick  Waller. he snuck into the room like he came to take something. 

“It's ok. you can come in,” Norval  informed him, attempting to make him comfortable. He felt uneasy with the surroundings,like he was never one to Visit hospitals. "pardon my intrusion,” Wardrick  remarked. He came closer to Norval’s  bed.

He came closer to Norval’s  bed. "It's nothing. in reality I was kind of bored, I needed some company,” Norval  replied, rolling over his bed. 

"I'm not staying for long though. I just came to say goodbye and then I'll be off,” Wardrick said,  sounding apprehensive. 

"goodbye? What do you mean by that?” Norval asked,  perplexed. "Well, I don't think I'll be able to participate in the trial any longer. I just don't think I'll be the proper fit,” Wardic added. Norval  got off the bed and sat on its edge. "and who informed you you're not the proper fit. I have seen you battle, you might very literally be the strongest participant in this trial. no one has ever pushed me to the edge like that,” Norval  praised him. but his compliments seemed to fall on deaf ears. 

"For me,  it was not about the fight. I was brought here to be examined on whether I can be a monk or not. and  tragically, I did not prove myself worthy. thus I do not see any reason I should stay and participate in the trials,” Wardic added. Although portraying a pretence of tranquility, Norval  could tell that he was sad. Of course he would, who else will be in his right mind after his own monastery disowned him.

"I served my purpose, but I think it's time for me to depart. I am sorry that I wounded you and fractured your ankle, I hope that you do not hold that against me. my hand was forced, and there was no way I could back down. thus I apologise for the injuries,” Wardric stated. There was a slight halt in their confrontation And Wardric  regarded that as Norval’s  reply. he turned to face the door and test as he was about to start  walking out, Norval  began to speak. 

" don't assume that you're the only one  who is this owned by his own kind. I have faced rejection throughout my life, and yet here I am, still standing. my own father disowned me from the minute I was born, and my mother was powerless to do anything about it. I have lived much of my life attempting to work hard and Gain his recognition. that road has depleted a lot in me than I could ever think of. If you spend all your life trying to acquire someone's recognition and respect, soon enough, you forget that you have your own identity,”

“That monastery was my life. I was born and bred in it. I have known nothing else,” Wardric  said.

Norval  glanced in his eyes as he spoke, “ your life Is Your Life. don't depend on other people to give it meaning, look for the meaning yourself. Even if the monks judge you Unworthy,I acknowledge you. After all, you are the one that defeated me. don't live your life bound in their conceptions off greatness,”

“ I don't understand. So what will I be without the Monastery. that was  basically my identity,”

“ Without the Monastery, you will still be Wardric Waller. and that's all that matters,” Norval  said,  beaming at him at the conclusion.

"You have talked as a wise man Norval. I am extremely happy to meet someone like you in my life. I hope our paths Cross again,” Wardric stated. 

"So I have not convinced you to stay?” Norval was the one who inquired. Wardric  stared back at him, smiling as a gesture to react to Norval’s earlier smile. "I wish you success in the trials. Though I cannot stay, I shall be observing your success from afar. As you have mentioned, I should discover my own identity. I just don't think that participation in the trials will help in my quest of self-awareness. so the next time we meet, I will  be my actual self, and not the Shadow of the Monastery,” Wardic  said, nodding towards Norval  at the conclusion. Norval  nodded back.