A BITTER TASTE

‘Nelanian' 

From within his dream, a voice resonated. He didn't think about it, and he didn't pay it the attention it deserved.

‘Wake up, Nelanian!'

Once more, the voice reverberated. Nelanian sprung from his bed and sucked in a huge gulp of breath. His nose could only detect the odors of latex gloves, floor cleaners, and hospital food. He appeared to be lost in thought for a time as if he was pondering how he ended himself in the ward in the first place. A soft touch finally settled over his right hand after a few moments of recognition, and he could feel the feminine tenderness that accompanied it. When he turned to his right, he saw Cecily yelling for a nurse and attempting to calm him down.

“Are you OK, Nelanian?” You had been asleep since yesterday!” Cecily continued to clutch his hand. He returned to his bed and calmed himself, recalling how he had ended himself in the infirmary. The nurse dashed into the ward and began walking through the many machines attached to Nelanian to monitor his vital signs.

“Miss, I'll need you to go out for a moment while I inspect the patient and make sure he's all right,” said the Nurse. Cecily was escorted out of the room by the Nurse. She drew the drapes closed and took the clipboard from the nightstand next to the bed.

“How are you feeling?”.  She questioned Nelanian, who took a long time to react.

“I'm alright, a little nauseous,”  He said.

“Don't worry, it's just the body regaining its strength. We had to use a lot of mutagen on you. I'm astonished you didn't die from the amount of blue fire in your system,” said the doctor.

Nelanian wiggled his feet and hands to see whether they were still there, but he couldn't feel them. He calmed down after he noticed the blankets moving; he hadn't lost them.

“Doctor, what's wrong with me?” he inquired. Before setting the clipboard down, the nurse gave him a long sympathetic look.

“Listen, this is going to be difficult to hear, but you need to know this for your own good. “You have a brain tumor!” exclaimed the doctor.

“Wait a minute!”

The nurse approached him and sat beside him on the edge of the bed, telling him what she had learned. Cecily stood outside the door for a little longer. She could overhear parts of their talks and felt frustrated when they would both become silent for lengthy periods of time before speaking again.

She soon heard the clack of the nurse's wedges as they walked across the tiled floors. Cecily was led in as the door swung open. Cecily took a seat next to the bed and listened intently to the school nurse's next words.

“Since you're the only one here for Nelanian, I'll give you an update on his status. Nelanian's brain tumor is a primary tumor that started at the base of his skull and is extremely malignant. It has grown significantly over the last three weeks, and I'm afraid I don't have the equipment here to perform proper surgical removal of the tumor. It is pushing and exerting a lot of pressure on the surrounding brain regions, resulting in frequent outbursts of intense headaches and loss of consciousness. Because the brain was pressing against the skull, the best I could do was lessen the agony it was inflicting. Nonetheless, more treatment is required.  However, there are some limitations...” She took a breather from speaking.

“Complications, what kind of complications?” Cecily interjected, bored of waiting for her to continue.

“You see, Nelanian is not a registered member of Ithea. As a result, he won't be able to get the therapy he requires without proper identification,”

“So all we have to do now is transport him to his native country, where he may receive treatment, and I will personally ensure that all of his expenditures are covered; my father is a nobleman, and I will speak with him...” Cecily was speaking before Nelanian interrupted him,

“Cecily, it isn't that simple,” he explained.

“Why?” she inquired, perplexed.

“Nelanian is not registered to any kingdom, he has no identity,” the nurse said.

“That can't possibly be correct,"  Cecily, ignorant to the nurse's comments, inquired, "everyone has an identity"

“Well, Nelanian isn't registered with any of the kingdoms.  Furthermore, he should not be utilizing alchemy because his blood is not Ithean and the elixirs and mutagens used by alchemists harm his body, which is why he has never advanced with alchemy,” the nurse continued.

“But Rhaizen Gale said that you were from his town. That he knew you when you were a small child, and that he knew your parents?” Cecily inquired, seeking clarification on the situation.

“Those were all lies made up by Rhaizen Gale for me to join IAA. He had no idea who my folks were. In reality, he had no idea I wasn't of Ithean blood. Nelanian replied, dipping his head, "I just happened to be walking through his hamlet when he found me."

Cecily peered at him intently, but she couldn't read him no matter how hard she tried. Nelanian had had enough of her glares and the never-ending silence and decided to confess his most closely guarded secret to her. He uncovered his right arm by unfolding the sheet that had been covering him. He then proceeded to display Cecily his prosthetic arm by rolling up the sleeves of his hospital gown.

Cecily hadn't noticed it before. In fact, the arm was so lifelike that it was difficult to tell the difference between it and an organic one. The only thing that may have given it away was a scar on his forearm at the elbow, but the blazer had won over it and kept it hidden at all times, so no one could see it. Furthermore, because gloves were worn over the hand as part of the school's dress code, it was more difficult to detect the arm.

“This is Seolaran technology,” Cecily examined the arm and stated, "I've seen it before, they utilize this technology to produce their androids and golems." “How long have you had this, what happened to your natural arm?” she asked, leaning in closer for a better look.

Nelanian remained silent. The silence was enough to elicit a response from Cecily herself.

“Are you a Seolaran?” 

“Not quite, because my father was a Seolaran. Despite this, I lack Seolaran blood. My mother, on the other hand, was a Yulcite, but I don't have any Yulcite blood in me,” Nelanian replied, a little too cool for the situation.

Cecily inquired, "So, who are you?"

“I am a nobody,” he said.

Before the nurse jumped in, the two exchanged blank looks for a few moments.

“Listen, you two are no longer students at this institution. I'll be in big trouble if Mr. Starkridge finds out you're still here. And because I don't want to become involved in this, I respectfully request that you leave the premises. I hope you can understand my position.”

“It's fine, madam; you've already been of great assistance to me. I'll gather my belongings and go as quickly as possible. Could you please wait outside, Cecily? Before I leave, I need to take a bath and change,” Nelanian replied, gently rising from his bed.

Cecily was led out of the ward and back into the lobby by the nurse. She waited for a while outside, and Nelanian emerged soon after, clothed in a plain white shirt with a grizzly leather jacket over it. His Chelsea boots were tucked into slightly tight denim, and a pocketable duffel bag was slung over his shoulder. Cecily stood up in the middle of his stroll out of the infirmary to meet him.

“Nelanian, you must get assistance. The nurse has only temporarily relieved your discomfort, but you are still in grave danger. Allow me to assist you,”

Nelanian gently seized her wrist and drew her in closer. He started whispering.

“Listen, Cecily, you're a sweet person. A truly decent and caring individual, perhaps too wonderful for this cruel world. I understand your desire to assist me, but doing so will not benefit you. I'm a man with a dark past that I prefer to keep hidden. I don't want to drag you into my life since it will just cause me misery and sadness. “Protect yourself from the world,”

“What are you talking about…”

“I am from Seolara. You have to wonder how I got to Ithea in the first place, given how almost impossible it is for anyone to leave Seolara's walls. Cecily, I've done some terrible things, and I don't want to drag you into it. So just forget about me,” 

“Where are you going to go. You don't have a home, friends, or family. You're on your own. Let me help you Nelanian,”

Nelanian gave her a friendly smile. He could see the goodness in her eyes and how good of a person she was. That kingdom had no right to such a pure soul.

“Cecily, you were the only one who stood by my side when the others deserted me. Trust me, the news I have received about this school and the king poisoning and trying to kill me will never forget. And I'll never forget you, for you're my one true friend. I'll return for you when this kingdom starts to burn. Otherwise, keep safe and know that I will be watching over you as you go among these wolves,”

“What are you talking about, Nelanian? Stop acting as if you're about to do something terrible...”

Nelanian drew her in close and embraced her warmly. Under his arms, he could feel her trembling. Cecily lost control and burst into tears like she always did.

Cecily remained alone in the lobby, watching Nelanian walk away into the darkness. She considered following him outside, but the nurse, looking for Nelanian, summoned her before she could start walking towards the door.

“Have you seen that boy? I wanted to refer him to one of my colleagues who could help him,"

Cecily shifted her gaze to the nurse. When the nurse spoke, she was surprised to see the glittering tears in her eyes, but her words were calm as if a big burden had been removed from her shoulders, “It's too late for that. He's already gone...”