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“I have to kill the witch… She’s probably plotting something again… Hurry… hurry…”

Zion, flustered, was still searching desperately for the Holy Sword.

I needed to act before the delusion-induced seizure worsened.

“Zion. Stay calm. Is that person the witch?”

“It might be Kenneth… That robe color… The body shape… Looking again, I’m sure… We have to stop him… Kenneth is alive…”

With no luck in finding the Holy Sword, Zion began to tremble violently, clutching his head and mumbling to himself.

The witch Kenneth. Right. That was part of an episode in the original story.

Always wearing a robe to obscure her face, she pretended to be friendly with the hero party and helped them for a long time, only to ultimately betray them and annihilate the village.

The immense despair, fear, and sense of betrayal I felt back then… Was that the trauma that lingered?

“It’s okay, Zion. The witch is dead. You killed her.”

“But the Demon King will come back!! How can we be sure the witch isn’t resurrected?”

“The witch isn’t the Demon King. You need to think calmly, Zion.”

I held his shoulders, hoping to quell his shaking.

Zion, with his head bowed and trembling, turned to me, resting his hands on my chest and clinging to me.

“Teacher… please heal me quickly. It’s something I have to do. Hurry, hurry… I’m so scared and trembling. Why is this happening to me? I need to deal with the witch, but I can’t do anything!”

Despite being terrified and trembling, he kept insisting he had to deal with the witch.

What kind of mental strength was this… Even with a broken body and shattered mind, he’s still trying to do what a hero must…

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

“It’s okay, Zion. You need to calm down first. Focus only on calming down.”

“Haa, haa…”

“The witch isn’t here. So, just calm down.”

Zion’s hands, resting on my chest, trembled and clutched my clothes tightly.

His condition was worsening. Even when I spoke gently to reassure him, it wasn’t showing much effect.

– Tap, tap.

While I was focused on taking care of Zion, Serin suddenly tapped my back, calling me.

“Should I ask that person to leave?”

Serin whispered quietly so Zion couldn’t hear.

I shook my head, signaling her not to do that.

A patient in a delusional state can worsen if the situation changes, so I had to find a solution as things stood.

Serin nodded, understanding.

“Zion. That person is someone I know. An adventurer who rehabilitated at our center. She’s not a witch.”

If I could convince him that she’s not a witch, hopefully, it would resonate…

“If she’s not a witch, there’s no way she’d be hiding her face like that. Even in this heat, wanting to keep her face hidden means there’s something she’s trying to hide!”

“She has severe facial burns. The injuries were grave. It’s not because she’s a witch, Zion. Think calmly. There’s no way a witch would be right in the middle of the Kingdom Capital. Take your time, and you’ll see the answer.”

Zion, still holding onto my chest, wasn’t letting go, using his trembling hands to gently push me away and slowly raising his head to meet my gaze.

‘His expression…’

But the expression that appeared before my eyes wasn’t one of fear, surprise, or crying.

With intense orange eyes burning, Zion looked at me with a clear expression of…

“You’re being deceived by the witch…!”

He was showing hostility.

What is this? Has his delusion grown uncontrollably?

For a moment, I was speechless, unable to say anything.

It felt like no matter what I said, it wouldn’t reach him.

In a situation without any more ideas springing to mind, still…

“Zion.”

I couldn’t stop talking.

If silence fell, thoughts would spiral wildly in his mind.

I couldn’t let Zion, trapped in his delusion, continue to think.

“If I stop, that’ll be the end for real.”

I had to say something… anything!

“Believe me.”

It was a desperate, barely articulated word.

Damn it. There was nothing else I could say…

“……”

Zion’s face, looking back at me, froze cold.

What was he thinking?

I had no clue.

Now, the only thing I could do was pray.

Please, please let Zion calm down…

“Hop, teacher…”

The atmosphere I felt from Zion, who hesitated to speak, seemed at least not as angry as before.

“Yes, it’s me, Zion. Hop Harvey. Your rehabilitation expert.”

“Hop, Harvey…”

His breathing was ragged but lengthy. Was he coming back to himself?

“Teacher….”

Zion, managing to call me out, stared into my eyes with trembling pupils and a blank expression, then quietly spoke again.

“My companion. Teacher Hop Harvey.”

Companion…

Zion is now calling me a companion…

“If I’m a companion…”

I wanted to respond somehow, but words wouldn’t come out.

The moment was tense. What would Zion say next?

Catching his breath gradually, Zion slowly opened his mouth. The words that came out were…

“If it’s a companion, I can trust you. I trust the teacher.”

“Zion…”

Luckily, Zion said he believed in me.

Suddenly, I felt a weight lift and breath come easier.

“Haa, haaa….”

I… hadn’t realized I was holding my breath.

As a rehabilitation expert, I was trying to act calm to reassure him, but I was also surprised.

When I heard that I was being deceived by the witch, it felt like the first time I experienced such a sensation. So this is what it feels like when the sky falls.

And the moment Zion said he trusted me, only then was I able to let out a sigh of relief.

“Haaaa…”

Taking a deep breath. First, I needed to calm myself down.

Alright. Now, Zion…

“Zion, let me check your pulse. Extend your hand. Can I hold your hand?”

“…….”

Zion nodded silently.

With a feeling of tension, I carefully took his right hand that was still resting on my chest and checked his pulse.

His heartbeat was forceful. About… 24 times a minute? Still a bit fast.

And since the act of taking his pulse was itself a static action, if we calmed our excitement and remained still, his heartbeat would naturally return to normal.

Let’s take a moment. It’ll be alright.

It’s slowing down. Good. It’s settling down. Now I just need to calm Zion…

“Are you conscious? How do you feel? Are you alright?”

“Teacher…”

Zion’s left hand, not the one I was holding, was still clutching my chest and trembling lightly.

While I could feel that he was slowly calming down, a slight tremor remained that prevented him from relaxing his grip.

“My clothes…”

“Huh?”

Clothes? What was he talking about all of a sudden?

“What should I do… my clothes are all wrinkled…”

Wrinkled clothes? Was he talking about where he was holding me?

If that’s the case, then at least it meant he was still looking at me.

That was a sign of relief.

“It’s fine. Clothes aren’t that important.”

“I want to let go quickly, but my hand… my hand won’t move. What do I do? It keeps trembling…”

“Zion. Remember what’s important?”

“The important thing. What you said, teacher…”

You can’t erase painful memories. The past injuries don’t change.

It’s merely about layering new memories on top.

And that’s why the trauma that haunts Zion instead reminds him of what we went through together.

I flipped the subject to make Zion hurt less.

“What’s important is me. I’m the most important.”

And thankfully, Zion remembered my words.

“That’s right. So stay still. Don’t worry about my clothes. Just take a deep breath. Do you remember what we did together? We match our breathing. Got it?”

“…Got it.”

“Then, huff…”

“Huff…”

“Haa…”

“Haa…”

Zion followed my deep breathing pretty well.

How long had we been breathing together? I could no longer feel my heartbeat against my chest.

The tension and excitement I felt had definitely returned to normal, and Zion…

‘About 19 times a minute, right?’

That was nearly back to normal.

But suddenly, Zion sat up and swayed dramatically before resting his forehead against my chest.

“Are you okay, Zion? If you’re awake, please answer.”

“Haa, I’m awake. But… my body is moving on its own…”

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

“Yeah. I think so…”

Zion seemed to struggle to lift his head, trying to get back up, but because he was feeling dizzy, his head wouldn’t cooperate with him.

“Zion. It’s okay to stay still.”

“Te-teacher?”

Moving while feeling dizzy could make it worse or be dangerous, so I wrapped my arms around Zion, who had come into my embrace, holding him tightly.

“Don’t move. It’s dangerous if you try to move while feeling dizzy.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. Lean on me. Just stay still and you’ll feel better.”

“……”

As I reassured him, I could feel strength leaving Zion’s body.

No longer trying to move, he relaxed into me.

We needed to just stay still. If nothing else happened, that would be reassuring.

Stay still. Stay still…

I could only wish for Zion to calm down safely.

**********

How much time had passed?

After a long pause without a response from Zion, I tried calling out to him, but he didn’t reply.

Carefully checking on Zion, who was nestled in my arms, I found that he had fallen asleep, his eyes shut peacefully.

“Well, Zion…”

I checked his pulse and vital signs by placing my hand on his nose.

Breathing present. Pulse normal…

Fortunately, he was in a stable condition, so I gently returned him to the wheelchair’s backrest.

“He’s asleep. He seems okay.”

“Haa… what a relief.”

Hearing that he was alright, Serin reacted as if her strength had drained away, closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh of relief.

“Huuh…”

And I felt the same. It was another hurdle passed.

“As expected of a teacher. When Zion reaches that state, we’ve never had a way to stop it…”

“Serin. Thanks for the compliment, but first, bring me something to drink. Anything will do, just hurry.”

“Ah, understood!”

Following my instruction, Serin dashed off toward somewhere.

I felt my breath quickening and my throat drying up. This time it was really tough.

Was it due to the delusion-induced seizure? I needed to remain cautious of the mage hiding her face in the robe.

I had to continuously keep an eye on situations, objects, or people that could potentially trigger the trauma.

More so than that, truly…

“Haaaa…”

In the end, I was left with no strength in my body, having to bury my head against the table.

Though it was only just past lunchtime, it felt like I had already endured an incredibly long holiday.

 

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