He felt a surge of determination that made his heart beat faster. He needed to track the noise. It was necessary for him to do so. The increasing rhythmic thumping led him like a guiding light through the storm of his thoughts. Xin remained unwavering despite the thick darkness, the dense trees above him, and the labyrinth of branches reaching out towards him as he ran. The forest teemed with night sounds like owls calling and leaves rustling in the wind, but he was fixated on a distant, steady beat. 

This heartbeat! Has to be.

Xin dashed quickly, leaping over downed logs, his boots thumping on the ground while maneuvering through trees and crouching below hanging branches. He kept going, despite his ragged breathing and heaving chest, determined to find Belial. 

As he neared the river, the sound of the rushing water became overwhelmingly loud. Xin did not allow the churning sound of the current to overpower him as he continued to follow the heartbeat. He felt a moment of despair in his heart. What would happen if he no longer had the ability to hear? What would happen if Belial was gone?

No. I can’t think of that . Not at this moment. Never!

His gaze moved over the riverbank while his thoughts hurried. After what seemed like hours of searching, he finally saw it - a dark figure, still beside the water's edge. 

"Bel!" Xin yelled with desperation, his voice breaking. 

As he walked unsteadily through the shallow water, the river surged and roared beside him. The freezing cold from the river penetrated his boots, making him shiver, yet he hardly paid attention. He was completely focused on the motionless figure across the river. 

He moved quickly ahead, his heart pounding in his ears, and knelt down next to the person lying down. He felt a sudden flutter in his chest. Belial remained motionless, his body covered in wounds and bruises, his torn clothing soaked in blood. His chest, once moving in time with life's rhythm, was now motionless. Very quiet. 

Xin's eyes overflowed with tears, causing his vision to blur as he embraced Belial. He was unexpectedly caught off guard by the powerful wave of sorrow. He was unable to part with his friend. Not at this moment, not in this manner. 

"Bel, I am here..," Xin murmured in a hoarse voice, holding onto his friend's lifeless form. "I'm not leaving you." 

He felt surrounded by the forest, as the tall trees cast long shadows in the moonlight. The night had turned silent, save for the river's loud rushing sound in the vicinity. Xin's breath was caught as panic took hold of him. He couldn't leave Belial behind here, but the nearest hospital was several miles away. 

Xin held his friend's weight in his arms while scanning the surroundings urgently, desperately searching for any sign of assistance. Through the haze of his crying, he spotted something shining far away: a train station. He felt a mixture of relief and dread while lifting Belial, his muscles working hard to bear the weight. 

The trip to the station seemed to last forever. Each step was difficult, his muscles sore from the strain of supporting his friend. Xin's body burned with effort despite the cool night air. Despite the pain, he persevered, reminiscing about his moments with Belial— the jokes they exchanged and the conflicts they faced together. 

He couldn't let it end like this.

Upon Xin's arrival at the station, the only presence on the platform was a solitary train parked without any activity. He entered unsteadily, holding Belial close to his chest, breathing heavily. He entered and the train doors closed, then it started moving quickly toward the city. 

However time wasn’t on their side.

When the train arrived in the city, an hour had gone by, and Xin's greatest worry was realized. Belial's heart ceased to beat. 

"No, definitely not..." Xin whispered in a panic, shaking his friend urgently.Stay with me Bel!! 

He struggled to bring Belial back, clumsily attempting to resuscitate him by pushing on his chest, yet there was no reaction no matter how hard he tried. The understanding struck him with the force of a physical impact—he was unable to rescue him. This is not acceptable. Not by oneself. 

However, when Xin looked out the train window, he noticed something that grabbed his attention - a phoenix emblem, softly glowing on the exterior of a building close by. It was the symbol of the guild. 

With newly acquired resolve, Xin jumped off the train and sprinted towards the guild, his legs propelling him at a speed he had never experienced before. Belial now felt lightened by his weight, with adrenaline driving him onwards. Every move brought him nearer to the possibility of redemption. 

Entering the guild, he yelled loudly for assistance, his voice strained and rough. However, the noise in the room was incredibly loud—filled with laughter, music, and the sound of glasses clinking. The world kept spinning as if nothing had happened, oblivious to the tragedy he held. 

"Please, I need help!" Xin's desperate voice cracked while he held Belial's limp body in his arms. However, it appeared that nobody paid any attention. Nobody appeared to care less.

Anger flooded his body. An explosion of ether emanated from his body, quickly quieting the entire room. The music stopped suddenly, and all eyes shifted towards him. Shaking, he held Belial's body, barely speaking now, as he stood there.

"Help me, anyone!" he pleaded, his voice shaking with feelings. "Can you assist him, please?"

There was a momentary pause, with no one making any movements. The guild members looked at each other, unsure of how to react to the scene in front of them. However, a young woman emerged from the rear of the crowd. She had a relaxed yet confident gaze.

"I am a healer," she stated, her voice breaking the quiet. The other medics are not available today, I’m the only one available.”

Xin felt a wave of relief as he followed her to the second floor, where she gently placed Belial and started examining him. Xin stood close by, feeling helpless, the sound of his heartbeat thumping in his chest. He detailed all of their efforts in navigating the cave and narrowly escaping the monsters.

The healer furrowed her brow while placing her hands on Belial's chest to examine his injuries. Following a lengthy and anxious pause, she finally uttered words.

“He has four fractured ribs, a broken arm, and significant blood loss. Which isnt a problem…However his heart is not reacting.

Xin experienced his world falling apart before his eyes. He was unable to part with Belial. He was unable to. Not at this moment, not following all the experiences they had shared.

His eyes filled with tears once more as he gazed at his friend lying motionless. He was unsure about what action to take. All he could do was hold onto hope - hope that Belial would somehow miraculously survive. Since Xin wasn't positive about how to continue, without him as he gave him courage to deal with his personal issues.

The healer showed a mixture of surprise and worry on her face while she diligently attended to Belial's injured body. With a gentle glow coming from her palms, she directed healing energy into his body over his shattered ribs. The tension in the room was so intense that each passing second dragged Xin further into a pit of despair.

"I can take care of his injuries," the healer whispered, shattering the silence.” However, I am not sure if I can work a miracle and resurrect him.”

Xin felt her heart drop when she heard what she said. He remained motionless, sensing his own vitality diminishing as he waited, wishing desperately for any indication that his friend was still present. He felt a heavy burden on his chest, struggling to breathe as he held onto a chair for stability.

The healer operated with the exactness of an individual who had witnessed numerous deaths yet remained resolute in their battle against it. As she kept tending to Belial's wounds, time seemed to drag on without end, her forehead showing signs of intense focus. Intermittently, she would look at Xin with a brief expression of sympathy, but for the most part, she stayed concentrated on the task.

Xin stayed by Belial's side, refusing to leave, as hour after hour went by. Xin barely noticed as the room became colder with the passing of the night. All his attention was directed towards his friend, observing every slight movement, every inhalation. He couldn't rid himself of the sense of powerlessness that bothered him, as though the burden of the world had landed on his shoulders, overwhelming him with the unknown.

The healer monitored Belial regularly, showing the same worry that Xin sensed deeply. Belial continued to remain silent. Xin thought to himself, determined to believe that he was putting up a fight. He must be.

While Xin remained next to his friend's unmoving body, another unseen event was taking place.

In a realm that exists outside reality, Belial opened his eyes and saw that he was in a strange location. Dark violet like clouds swirled in the sky with dim shining lights above, radiating a mysterious energy in the space between the nebulae. The surface below him appeared to reflect  like glass, showing mysterious light patterns that moved in the air nearby.

Belial whispered to himself, "This must be the afterlife," as his words reverberated through the vast emptiness. "This is kind of disappointing."

As soon as the words escaped his lips, a mysterious figure appeared before him, shrouded in a combination of black and purple that appeared to have a pulsating energy. Belial's body tensed as he flinched and turned quickly to confront the mysterious figure.

"Do not misunderstand," the figure said with a deep, resonant voice that sent a shiver down Belial’s spine. "This is not the life after death."

Belial's gaze narrowed while he cautiously backed away, examining the figure. So, where exactly am i? Who are you?

The figure’s aura shifted, swirling around it like a living thing. “We are in the Astral Plane,” it explained calmly. “A place where the soul and consciousness exist beyond the boundaries of life and death.”

Belial’s mind raced.

The astral plane?

He had heard of such theories of places in realms where the laws of the physical world no longer applied, but that was for the spirit realm, where only the soul could travel. But if this wasn’t the afterlife, then why was he here? And more importantly, how?

Was there a mistranslation in the books I read?

“If I'm not dead, why i'm i here?” he asked, his voice laced with suspicion. “And what do you want from me?”

The figure let out a low, rumbling chuckle. “I pulled your soul into this plane moments before your death,” it said, the words reverberating through the air. “As for who I am... that is not for you to know. All you need to understand is that your body has been healed.”

Belial blinked, momentarily stunned. “Healed?” He could feel his confusion mounting. “Wait..What are you talking about?”

“Your body was on the brink of death,” the figure continued, “but it seems someone intervened in the physical world, saving you from your life.”

Belial processed the words from the shadowy figure, but before he could ask more questions, a faint sound—like a heartbeat—echoed in the distance. He turned toward the noise, but when he looked back, the shadowy figure had vanished.

The sound grew louder, more persistent, pulling him away from the ethereal plane. His vision blurred, and the world around him began to dissolve, shifting and warping into something familiar. 

Belial's eyes snapped open and he found himself lying on a bed, His body aching with every movement. The first thing he saw was Xin, who sat by his side, staring at him with a mixture of relief and concern.

“You’re awake,” Xin whispered, his voice barely audible as he leaned forward. His eyes were red-rimmed, as if he had been crying.

Belial tried to move, but pain shot through his body, forcing him to wince. “My body feels like Its been put though a meat grinder,” he said weakly. “But at least I’m somehow alive… thanks to you.”

Xin’s lips trembled into a small, relieved smile. “The healer did most of the work,” he said, his voice filled with modesty. “I just stayed by your side.”

Belial nodded, his mind still groggy as he glanced around the room. “Where are we?”

“We’re in the guild,” Xin replied. “You’ve been out for hours. The healer managed to heal most of your injuries, but… you still need time to recover.”