Prota opened his eyes and saw a blurry vision of Tiki before him. For a moment, he wondered if Anta had managed to kill him with the same god-like powers that he used on Tiki. But then he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

“It’s okay,” Tiki said, with a soft voice that made Prota’s muscles relax. She dabbed gently at his wound and grabbed some bandages. “He isn’t able to kill anyone,” she told him. “Anta isn’t all-powerful. The laws of anti-death are the same for him as for everyone else.”

“You were alive this whole time?” Prota asked, weakly. “What’s going on?”

Tiki swallowed nervously, afraid to admit the truth. She lifted Prota’s back ever-so-gently. Prota realized he wasn’t on the floor anymore. Tiki had carried both him and Anta to a bed. Hospital curtains hung from a rod attached to the ceiling and curved around the bed, making Prota unable to see the room beyond. He looked at Tiki, waiting for her explanation.

“I… hid myself from you,” Tiki admitted. She didn’t look like the same gleeful girl he had traveled with these past few years. Something was weighing on her. Her hands shook, making it difficult for her to hook the bandages together.

Prota’s hand reached up to his chest and steadied hers. He trusted her. He knew she wouldn’t do something like this without good reason.

“Anta, he,” she was having difficulty talking. Prota had never seen her like this before. “He needed your help with something, and I…” She finally looked into his eyes, her turquoise irises turning glassy with tears. “I believed that you two would be able to work out your differences. How foolish am I?” She laughed at herself, as the warm liquid spilled down her cheeks.

“Work out our differences?” Prota echoed her words. “What is this? You want me to get along with the enemy?”

“Yes,” she said with a sob.

“What happened while you were gone?” Prota asked. “Did he trap you here?” His expression turned severe. “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head. “No,” she said emphatically. “Absolutely not.” She wiped her tears. “You might not believe this, Prota, but… He’s a good guy.” She pursed her lips and smiled.

“What?” Prota asked sharply, looking at her like she’d gone insane. He sat up straight. The pain in his body was a little different than the one he was used to, but he had no problem braving it. He looked to his side. The man in question was fast asleep and fully bandaged beside him… Naked. His head whipped back to Tiki. “What the hell is going on?!”

“Please, don’t,” Tiki pleaded, with both hands on his shoulders to steady him. “You’ll aggravate your wounds.”

“Well, I’m plenty aggravated already!” he roared. 

Tiki looked at Anta, who was sleeping through the ruckus.

“What the hell is going on?!” Prota repeated. “You came to his aid first?! Why?!” Tears filled his eyes. He was hurt. Really hurt. How could she care more about the enemy, after knowing him for five days, than about him… The one she’d spent her life with? “I don’t get it, Tiki. I don’t…” His anger converted into sadness, as he looked at the woman he loved. Part of him wished this wasn’t the real Tiki… just an illusion created by the enemy. But something told him she was undeniably real.

“Prota, please!” Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly. “I love you immensely!”

The words made his heart ache and flutter at the same time.

“And that’s precisely why I can’t let anything happen to him!”

Prota winced as he looked at her. “You aren’t making any sense.”

“You need him!”

“Huh?”

“In order for you to live… To really live,” she emphasized, “you need to patch things up with him! You need to let him in!”

He didn’t get it.

“Prota…” Tiki’s voice was stern. She looked straight into his amber eyes, hands firmly on his shoulders. “Anta… Is you.”