The Ring Master | Jellal Fernandes [1] ON HOLD

06 | The Nivert People

Her shot open and winced as the bright light shone around her. She took a pained and small breath as she look around the cabin she was in. Her brown hair was scattered along the pillow as she shifted her head, a full ache pulsing through her body as she observed all the beautiful wood work that decorated the place. With a groan, she pushed herself up so she was sitting on the bed.

"I'm alive?" Halay questioned herself in confusion as she rubbed her fingers over each other, feeling how unusually soft they were. She was stumped, she had no idea where she was and how she had even survived. She hated to admit it but she was ready to die.

"Indeed." A voice spoke up. She glanced over to the door to see a short man standing there. The Caid Shelter master, Roubaul. "It seems your friends care deeply about you, if you had been connected to the machine for any longer the damage would have be too great for us  to repair."

"Thank you." Halay said as she gave him a small smile, finally putting together the answers to her questions. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cold wood against her bare feet.

"You must know, a piece of the Magic Bomber is still in your arm." He informed her, his tone deadly serious. She glanced up at him and down to the bandages around her arm. "You must remove it or it will have terrible consequences."

Halay gulped. "I will."

He nodded and left the room quickly. She let out a heavy sigh. She grabbed the shirt on the chair and quickly pulled it in. Her hand gently danced over a suit jacket, her blue crest in the pocket. Somehow, her mind was filled with conflicting statements - she didn't know what she wanted anymore and it scared her. Nevertheless, she placed her jacket on her shoulders, wincing as a dull pain erupted from her arm.

"You're alive." The familiar voice of Erza rang out inside the cabin. The ring master tensed up and gulped nervously as she turned to see the emotionless redhead staring at her.

"Erza." The brunette greeted, buttoning up her jacket as she walked towards her. "I'm sorry I didn't try to find you years ago." Halay stated as she looked at the ground in shame, her new perspective on life starting to shine through.

"Hibiki told me. He also told what you did. How could you be so reckless?" She seethed as she pulled the girl into a tight hug, Halay's face pressed against Erza's large chest. The brunette's eyes fluttered briefly at the contact, deciding she missed female hugs a lot more now and suddenly realising that she had mostly been hanging out with boys.

"I wanted to help." Halay reluctantly admitted as she pulled herself away from her friend. "If I hadn't done what I did then they wouldn't be alive." The brunette sat down on the bed again, gripping the side as the dreaded question that she had tried to keep down escaped her lips. "Is Jellal okay?"

Erza sighed as she sat down next to her old friend. "He got taken by the Magic Council."

"I didn't get to say goodbye. Again." Halay whispered as she clenched her jaw and her scarred hand tightened around the white cloth. She felt tears building up in her eyes yet she refused to let them fall, violently pushing them out of her eyes.

"I said it for you. I also gave him a heart to heart about you incase he never remembers." Erza stated in amusement, remembering the fear in his eyes when she threatened him - half serious and still debating whether to go through with it or not. "He told me to tell you that 'it was his favourite season'."

Halay snapped her head up so fast that she could have gained whiplash. Her teal eyes stared into her dark ones as she tried to see some sort of tell, something that she couldn't find. "He did remember." She smiled sadly as she finally had a small amount of hope in her heart. "How is everyone?"