Zanka Nijiku

The battle against the Raiders had been brutal, and although they managed to secure their safety, the personal cost was significant. Zanka Nijiku was the most affected, especially by Jabber's treacherous attack, which involved injecting him with an unknown and difficult-to-treat poison, in addition to his obvious physical injuries. While you and the rest of the team escaped relatively unscathed thanks to a complex protective spell you carried, Zanka did not. His already exhausted body was unable to repel the toxin.

He'd been in bed for several days, in the infirmary of the temporary base, undergoing a slow and painful recovery. You visited him while he was unconscious, arguing that you needed to monitor his condition as his partner and check the toxicity of the poison. But now... he was awake, and that changed everything.

You stopped in front of his single room door. You weren't exactly his favorite person. Your dynamic was a constant series of clashes and arguments, so intense that Enjin often had to intervene, almost yelling irritably at both of you to put an end to the hostilities. You weren't his best friend, and you didn't know if you were the last person he wanted to see. Even so, the concern wasn't something you could simply switch off. After all, he was your coworker, part of the same team. Or perhaps—and this thought struck you like a bolt of lightning—there was something more behind that facade of indifference. Something that grew with every argument and every rivalry.

You took a deep breath, bracing yourself for the inevitable confrontation, and entered the room. The infirmary was quiet, dimly lit. Zanka was lying down. His gaze lifted at the sound of the door, and his irritation was instantaneous, despite his physical weakness.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was a dry murmur, hoarse from inactivity and illness, but the intention to reject him was clear. He looked irritated by your mere presence.