Days had passed since the tournament ended. Misha had woken up in a hospital bed with a dull headache and aching muscles. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented.
“Where am I?”
She mumbled to herself, looking around the unfamiliar room. She remembered the last thing being in the middle of a fight, then everything went blank.
Misha tried to remember what had happened at the tournament. She recalled fighting Hiro and putting up a good fight, but then everything went blank. She couldn’t really remember but she could easily guess what followed. She has lost!
Misha closed her eyes, feeling a mix of disappointment and exhaustion wash over her. She had put everything into that fight, and it was hard to accept that she had not emerged as the winner.
“But… but congratulations to Hiro. He’s really amazing. He deserves to win!”
She managed to say with a small smile. She had given everything she had to give and more. She did beyond what she expected. Although she had lost, she also managed to grow stronger.
While her target seemed to be far ahead, she felt that she had at least managed to close some distance.
Suddenly, the curtain near her opened.
“Oh, you’re awake!”
Lisa asked. They had been kept in the same room as they were friends. Lisa’s injuries were less severe than Misha’s and she regained consciousness earlier.
“Lisa! You were also here!”
Misha said, startled by her.
“Yes, it seems that they kept us in the same room. Most importantly, how are you feeling, Misha? Any discomfort?”
Lisa asked worriedly. She could help her to a certain extent though that was not possible in her current state. However, she can always call doctors and healers who are much better than her.
“I have a headache, but I’m okay.”
She replied, her voice weak and raspy. It was the effect of staying unconscious for so many days. Other than that, she felt that most of her injuries had healed.
Lisa nodded and had some conversation before she congratulated her.
“Oh, before I forget. Congratulations on getting second place! While the winner was Hiro, you put up some amazing fights back there.”
Lisa said.
She had lost consciousness after their battle and was not able to congratulate her for winning against her. While she felt bitter about having lost, she didn’t think that she had made any mistake and was only defeated because she was weaker than Misha.
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Misha thanked her and also congratulated her. Despite losing, they did get certain awards and they were really worth it. Not everyone could get second or third in a competition where every genius is gathered.
“Is Zion alright?”
Misha asked. She remembered that Zion was also taken to the hospital due to his injuries and it was much worse than theirs.
“I don’t know for sure. Doctors are saying that he is out of danger, but he is not in very good condition. His body seems to have suffered severe internal damage from exerting himself.”
Lisa said. She had inquired about Zion’s condition and found that he had yet to recover. His injuries were much more serious than they seemed.
Misha looked worried. Internal injuries like Zion had are difficult to recover from and it could be dangerous to his life.
Noticing Misha’s expression, Lisa said.
“Don’t worry too much. He is not someone who would die like this. Sylvia is also looking after him. We can check his condition after recovering.”
Misha nodded. She was helpless even if she wanted to help. She could only pray that Zion would make it out of these difficulties.
Soon, her family came. They were really worried for the past few days even though doctors said that Misha would be fine. They only felt relieved when they saw Misha awake.
“Thank goodness you’re okay, Misha! Your father and I were so worried!”
Misha’s mother exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Her father also embraced her, smiling warmly.
“We are so proud of you, Misha. You did an amazing job in the tournament, and we couldn’t be happier for you.”
Misha smiled weakly, feeling grateful for her parents’ support. They had always been there for her, through thick and thin, and their unwavering love meant everything to her.
“You should have given up earlier. If something had happened to you, I would never have forgiven you.”
Eleonore said. She was worried but happy to see her sister fine. However, she also needed to reprimand her so that she does not do such stupid things again. She was really scared when Misha collapsed and was taken to the hospital.
Despite hearing such a thing, Misha was happy. She knew that Eleonore only said that because she was worried about her. Her sister was someone who was cold on the outside and warm on the inside.
Over the next few days, Misha’s friends also came to visit her in the hospital.
Her friends also came to visit her, each bringing a gift or a bouquet of flowers. They chatted and joked, making her laugh despite the pain and discomfort.
“I can’t believe you made it to the finals, Misha! You are such a badass!”
One of her friends exclaimed, making Misha laugh. Even though she was a girl, she liked to talk in a boyish manner.
“Yeah, you kicked some serious butts out there!”
Another chimed in, causing Misha to smile and feel proud of herself. They said that they were surprised that she managed to do such a thing to Hiro, who is one of the top students at their school. They both congratulated and comforted her for her loss.
As the days passed, Misha slowly recovered from her injuries. She was grateful for the time she had to rest and recuperate, but she was also eager to get back to training and honing her skills. She had tasted defeat at the tournament, but it only fueled her desire to improve and become even stronger.
She vowed that she would become much stronger; stronger than Sylvia, stronger than Lisa, stronger than Zion, stronger than Hiro, and even stronger than Zero!