Ryu had slipped into what would become a coma of several months. By the time he awoke, he would find only Imperial Doula Miriam by his side.
The old Doula was so excited when Ryu's eyes finally fluttered open that she almost threw a small party for the two of them. It was only under Ryu's insistence that she gave up on the idea.
Still, Ryu felt a comforting warmth. Maybe others would be hurt by this reality, but, at least in the endless cold he faced, there was at least someone who was by his side.
Imperial Doula Miriam slowly helped Ryu sit up. "Slowly, slowly. You've been asleep for so long that you're definitely suffering from more than a few bedsores. Also, your muscles have significantly weakened – it's okay to rely on this old lady. I might look frail, but I'm still a Pulse Opening realm expert."
Ryu coughed slightly under the strain, but still managed a small smile. "Aren't there babies out there who need your help far more than me?"
"I'm retired, this old lady can spend her time as she pleases."
She spoke dismissively, raising a cup of water to Ryu's dry lips. She had tried to keep him hydrated during his coma, but it was extremely difficult. In the end, she had no choice but to sustain his life with her own energy. She felt gratified that she had given her life to the medical field.
Taking Ryu's weak body into her arms, she carried him into the bath house, meticulously stripping away his dirtied clothes. Ryu didn't seem too embarrassed by this prospect as he had long since treated the old Doula as his grandmother. Plus, if he didn't receive this help, he didn't believe that he could do it alone.
A pained expression colored the old Doula's face as she brought a warm, moist toilette to Ryu's back to begin wiping the accumulated dirt and grime from him. Although a sort of phantom pain overwhelming Ryu as he felt each bump of every one of his scars, he bit the inside of his lip to stop himself from crying out.
"Is it that bad?" Ryu said through a pained chuckle. How could a mortal body not scar in the face of such torture? Ryu had already expected as much.
"It's bad, but it isn't the end of the world. A man with battle scars is the dream of any woman." Having learned that lying to her Little Ryu would accomplish nothing, she used a different tactic.
"Maybe if the scars were earned on the battlefield…" Ryu said softly. "I'm not sure if there's a market for men who gained scars being beaten by their own grandfather and mother…"
Despite his cynical words, Ryu could still remember that warmth well. It was the only warmth he had received in that part of his life, the only kindness that resembled what his parents, his true and real parents, had given him in his first life.
Her gentle touch, her delicate concern, the way she always stood by his side even when she didn't have to… he remembered it all.
He sat for months after that, doing nothing much than staring into blank space. He wanted for nothing, sought after nothing, wanted to do nothing. He had no goals, no aspirations, no hope…
Ryu thought he heard the words 'Sin of Sloth' reverberate in his mind, but it lacked the forcefulness of the previous booming verdicts. He had completely immersed himself in these years, feeling everything again as though it was the very first time.
"Come Little Ryu, you've spent too long sitting in one place. You must exercise your body." Imperial Doula Miriam's once soft and lovable features suddenly became stern, surprising Ryu.
Something was wrong, Ryu could feel it. Miriam had never been so fierce with him before. Maybe by then, he could already sense what would happen.
"Look at you, you're even more frail than before. You've lost what little muscle mass you had before.
"We need to start slowly, overdoing it will only harm you. How do you expect to bring me little babies to play with ? Up you go."
Her soft voice rang in his ears. He remembered well as she forced him to his feet, pushing him into a training regimen that he wanted no part of.
She had been right, his body was too weak. But, he didn't understand the point of it all.
It felt like every step he took, he was another step closer to that bleak future looming over the horizon.
Ryu's body shook violently in the real world. Veins of black raced across his skin, veins of red pulsing out the edges of his open, vacant eyes. The hole in his chest had only grown larger, black blood flooding from it like a streaming waterfall.
Every drop that fell to the ground did so with BOOM, each singular teardrop being as heavy as a mountain.
The earth rolled in waves, craters appearing within it one after another.
"You must understand, Little Ryu. Growing stronger is just as much about rest as it is about work. A body can only grow with time. In the same vein, there needs to be a balance between all things. Strength is just as important as flexibility."
"There you go, reach down as far as you can. Your elastic and well-stretched muscles will thank you later. Always emphasize this balance. What is the use of big muscles you can't make proper use of?"
"You can do it Little Ryu! Just get a small bit better everyday, step by step!"
"Are you ever going to tell me why you had me start training my body?"
"You're very good at cornering this old lady…" A breath escaped Miriam's wrinkled lips.
She ruffled his hair, pinching at his cheeks. Her eyes were filled with a doting expression, almost as though she was looking at her own grandson as she told him the story of the White Devils.