Chương 49: Recharge

June had been swimming back and forth for the last fourteen hours without taking a break. At some point, the news crew and some curious, maybe even desperate, onlookers gathered around the stairwell with hope in their eyes. June was on the verge of collapsing, but every time he hung his head, prepared to accept his fate, or was slowly fading into a deep slumber, he saw his bracelet, the one Lilia gave him specifically.

Every time he considered giving up, he remembered that each person he saved was loved like he loved Lilia. The more hazy he felt, the more he pushed himself. If he could save someone else's Lilia, he could spare the thought of being in a scenario where he lost her. He pushed himself until he was ragged, the incredulous looks became hopeful, and then concerned.

June was almost done cleaning out the first floor, and despite what the man in the high-visibility jacket told him, he was going to clear out the second floor afterward. Every time he went down, he found a new body, sometimes old, sometimes young, some looked like they were trying to help, some looked like they were forgotten in the panic. It crushed him every time, it filled him with a deep anger, a spite that overpowered his fear. He WILL never lose Lilia; the world would have to kill him first.

He WILL never forget Lilia; the world would have to obliterate him first. And he WILL never die until Lilia gives him permission to; the world could only try. June came up onto land and retched as water poured out of his mouth. He stretched a hand out blindly, waiting for his next list. June had waved his trembling hand, and instead of another list, someone grabbed his hand. The male doctor from earlier had come back to check on June.

His face was wrinkled, his hair was greying, but despite all that, the man looked no more than ten years older than June. The man had deep eye bags, and his voice sounded like it had lost its soul.

"Kid, take a break." The man in his thirties sounded like he was ancient, his voice sounded parched despite the rising water level, and the man's own hands trembled when they grabbed June's.

"Kid, I know you're thinking of going down to the bottom level. I know you're well capable enough to do so, but kid…"

"Everyone who really needed it… they died when the power went out, and the others who don't need it as much will survive long enough for the next supply helicopter to come." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. June was just getting started, at least he thought so. He tried so hard to get a grip; his escapades until now were done through pure feverish strength. It felt so pointless; he saved a few lives, and he even heard some go.

The weeping, the screaming, all the noise on the ground floor was too much compared to the calm world below. June tried to stand, but his legs gave out. The older doctor had to carry him on his back as June held onto his consciousness. The older man laid June onto a spare hospital bed; the previous user was on the ground, peacefully resting despite the water rushing over their face.

June immediately fell into a slumber the second he was laid to rest; people would have thought he was a dead body from how little his body had moved, and how faint his breathing seemed.

June woke up sitting against his bed in his chambers. It seemed someone else carried him off when he slept. He was tucked in, and to his side, Lilia sat down with her head on the mattress, with her hand stretched out still holding his.

'Did she carry me here?' Lilia was a Dreamer after all; she was more than strong enough to carry him. June felt a little regretful; he wanted to be the one to carry her back, but it seemed she did it before him. A day in the nightrealm was ten minutes in the mundane realm, but for some reason, a day in the mundane realm was about two to eight hours. It felt so random. June had a hard time wrapping his head around it. June gently let go of her hand and got off the bed. It was dawn.

He walked up to her and felt a little sad.

'Why was she sitting on the ground?' June gently lifted her up and tucked her into bed. A faint, flavorful taste was on his lips; he couldn't really figure out as to why. He couldn't figure out why, but decided to share it with Lilia. He gave a kiss on the forehead before making sure she was comfortably tucked in. June sat down on the floor and rested his hand against her outstretched hand while simultaneously holding it, and unironically assumed her exact position before he woke up.

He then closed his eyes and nodded off. He would love to stay, but he had a job to do first.

June staggered out of the hospital bed; he didn't have his phone or a watch, so he was unable to tell the time, but considering the fact that he was only in the nightrealm for almost half an hour, it should have been an almost immediate awakening in the mundane realm. June heard shouting, a different type. His body was still on fire; he didn't heal much in the few minutes his mundane world self slept for. He staggered towards the shouting, towards the lobby, and in the middle was a man shouting. He was armed.

People were cowering, and some were clutching their bodies, while others lay still, dead.

'Shame' June walked into the lobby, into the open, and the gunman turned the gun on June and shot.

'Missed' June staggered to the man holding the gun. The gunman looked a little scared; everyone was; he probably just acted out in panic. June wasn't in the mood to play red light, green light with an idiot.

'I left Lilia's side to be here.' Unknowingly to June, he was quite a scary-looking fellow at the moment. He was drenched, his clothes were torn, showing pure muscle underneath; he wasn't tall, but his shoulders were fairly broad for his taut physique. The mask he wore was pure bone, and the one eyehole only let people who looked directly in to see a glowing gold ball with tinges of red dancing around. June staggered up to the man, grabbed the gun, and crushed it effortlessly.

He scanned the room before finding the older doctor also cowering from the gunman. June walked up to him and looked the shocked doctor in the eye.

"I rested. What do I do next?"