Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

A melodic sound like a jingle bell sang in the back of Lancet’s head and he was slowly pulled back into consciousness.

He squinted against a bright white light, feeling his senses slowly coming back online. Lancet took a deep breath and when the pungent scent of crushed healing herbs and sterile linen filled his nose, he realized exactly where he was.

The Academy Clinic.

There was a terrible pain deep beneath the thick bandages wrapped tightly around his chest. But that meant he was alive.

Lancet let his head fall back against the soft pillow and let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"I just can’t seem to avoid this place, can I?" he muttered to the empty room.

"Look who’s alive."

Lancet turned his head to the sound of the voice. Stepping into his ward with a crystal screen in hand and a smile on her face was Nurse Hallow. She walked over to the side of his bed, checking the IV drip connected to his arm.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Lancet," Nurse Hallow said.

Lancet smiled lopsidedly. "Nurse Hallow! Hah! How long was I out?"

"A while."

Lancet frowned. He squeezed his brows to draw out any memory but he kept drawing blank. "What exactly happened?"

"You can’t remember?" She raised an eyebrow, adjusting his pillows. "You saved Hebthej, Lancet. You took a Gloom-Spear detonation directly to the heart. Your chances for death were really high but luckily for you, I am a very powerful Healer Mage."

Lancet smiled. "Then I owe you big time." His smile vanished right then. "Wait. I don’t literally owe, do I? Does this add to my debt too?"

Hallow thought about teasing him at first but smiled the idea away. "Of course not. Every injury sustained by all members of the vanguard are cured free of Profits. Especially you."

Lancet sighed, his head falling back to the pillow. "Phew. Well that’s a relief."

Nurse Hallow looked down at him for a moment. "What you did, Lancet, it was..." She thought of her words for a while before continuing. "... let’s just say you’re not at all what I expected."

Lancet looked at her with one raised brow.

She patted his shoulder gently. "There are some people outside who have been dying to see you since they brought you in. Are you up for visitors?"

Lancet nodded. "Yeah. Let them in."

Nurse Hallow stepped to the door, opened it, and gave a quiet nod before slipping out.

The door opened wider, and Astensia rushed into the room. She was in her armor which looked so out of place in the hospital, but she didn’t care. The moment she saw him awake, looking at her, the legendary Ironwill Knight let out a breath she looked like she had been holding for days.

The overwhelming relief washed over her features. She hurried to the bedside, her hands hovering over his bandages as if afraid to hurt him.

"Master..." Astensia breathed, a bright smile breaking across her stoic face. "I’m so glad you are awake. The Elders be praised."

Lancet looked surprised to see her. "Astensia. You look like you haven’t slept for days."

The Ironwill Knight laughed sadly. "It’s because I haven’t, silly. Do you know how worried I have been?"

Lancet gazed into her eyes, seeing the concern she was speaking of. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you."

"Do not apologize," she said softly, grabbing his hand gently. "Not after what you did."

Lancet’s eyes fell and he took a deep breath. "So Hebthej is fine now?"

"Yes," Astensia replied with a smile. "The town is rebuilding itself as we speak." She paused, her smile softening as she glanced back toward the open doorway. "There is someone else who wishes to speak with you."

Lancet looked up curiously.

The front door opened and Thor stepped inside.

Lancet’s heart leaped. Thor looked just as anxious. They gazed at each other for a while, that ding, ding, ding, sound the only noise in the silence.

Astensia looked between the both of them and said, "I’ll give you two some space." She left, closing the door after her.

Lancet and Thor remained still for a while longer. The Valkyrie looked entirely different from her usual arrogant self. Lancet could see it in her eyes. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

For once, Thor looked incredibly vulnerable, entirely stripped of her untouchable pride.

Thor took a hesitant step forward, her hands trembling by her sides, warhammer swinging by her waist.

"Thor..." Lancet started, but she cut him off.

"Please," Thor whispered, her voice cracking under the immense weight of her guilt. She stepped up to the side of his bed, unable to maintain eye contact. "I... I do not know how to face you. After everything I said. After the arrogance and the disrespect I showed you... you threw your life away to save mine."

Lancet was stunned by those words. He stared at her but quickly lowered his head, also unable to maintain eye contact.

"Thor, it’s fine," he said gently, trying to sit up slightly. "There is nothing to apologize for—"

"There is everything to apologize for!" Thor exclaimed. She walked closer to him.

"I was... blind," she said, a single tear running down her cheeks as she gripped the edge of his clinic bed. "I was so blinded by the past. I was clinging to a ghost... clinging to an idea of what a leader should be, rather than seeing the person right in front of me. Even worse, I punished you because of my guilt, because I failed my master and I feared if I accepted you, then one day I would fail you too."

Lancet stared up at her, his dark blue eyes starting to shudder. "Thor, you wouldn’t... You could never fail me."

"I already have," she mumble-cried. "You asked for my help and I rejected you. I disparaged you and I sent you into a death battle on your own. And even after I turned my back on you, you still protected me."

"Thor—"

The Valkyrie suddenly fell to her knees and looked up at him, her tear-streaked face an image of devotion.

"I repent for every word I spoke against you," Thor vowed, her voice trembling yet filled with fiery resolve. "From this day until the end, I will spend the rest of my life making up for what I did. I will be your hammer, your executioner. I will carry out your every order without a single moment of hesitation."

She lowered her head, resting her forehead against the back of his hand.

"Master Lancet."

Lancet stared at the weeping Heroine of Thunder. He didn’t know what to think! He had expected that one day she would accept him as her master, but this level of devotion was completely unforeseen.

Even then, finally having what he wanted, finally relieved and joyful to have Thor fully by his side, Lancet didn’t want her to be a guilty servant; he wanted his fiercely proud Heroine back.

Lancet smiled softly. "Thor?" he called gently.

The Valkyrie raised her head, looking Lancet in the eyes.

"You can be my executioner," Lancet said playfully. "And you can smash every Demon we come across. But we need to get one rule straight: You’re only allowed to cry when I actually die, okay?"

Thor froze. How could he be so casual in such a serious situation?! He almost actually died!

She stared at his cheeky, knowing smile. A second later, a quiet laugh escaped her lips. The sad eyes were still there, but a genuine, radiant smile broke through her sorrow, lighting up the rest of her face.

"I wasn’t crying," she said. "It was only a tear."

Lancet scoffed. "I’ll take a tear. Besides, I just realized how ridiculous sacrificing myself was. If I died, you would have too." A sigh escaped him as he gazed aimlessly. "I guess I just couldn’t think rationally when I saw that Commander attack you."

Thor gazed at him with gratitude and something that almost looked like reverence. "Like any leader would," she said, "Master Lancet."

Lancet looked at her and they both shared a smile.

"How cute."

Startled, Lancet and Thor glanced at the chair by the wall where Spectra Hexerra was sitting, one leg crossed over the other, her chin resting on the flat of her palm as she watched them with a playful, entertained gleam.

"What about me?" she asked, shrugging with one shoulder. "Do I also have to call you Master?"