Jaune rolled over on his back, ready to accept his fate- ready to meet his death head on. Only, it wouldn't be as easy as he thought.

The intensity of the light was starting to diminish.

"What is happening? Why is this happening!? Can't i just die already!?" he yelled.

The light wasn't unbearable to look at now, just uncomfortable. He turned his gaze toward it and was able to see it had a source. The light was shining from one spot in the sky. He lifted his left hand to shield his view, only to discover he met with resistance.

He continued to attempt to raise his arm when he realized this unknown force had a very familiar feeling.

His arm was constricted by something… soft, plush, and gentle to the touch.

He did his best to look down but his neck was stiff and ached when moved in any direction. Yet he was able to make out the mysterious force that was holding him down.

"A-a blanket?" he stated in utter surprise.

"Am I in a bed?"

He continued to scan his body with his eyes, making sure to keep his head still as possible. It was then he was able to see that he was, in fact, lying on a bed, covered with a blanket.

He looked back toward the light shining on his face. Jaune was finally able to see the source of this light: the sun. The sun was still rising; set to the backdrop of an endless, clear blue sky.

However, this beautiful sight quickly caused panic to wash over him.

"Wait… SUNRISE!?" he shouted internally. "It should still be night time…"

He attempted to recall everything, anything about last night. He transfixed his gaze on a spot on the ceiling. His eyes, unblinking- he had to remember. He started to go over last night's events in his mind.

"Ok, Ok, what happened last night? Oh think Jaune, come on! I… I was running toward Beacon, then… I was attacked but I was able to get through. Yeah! That's right. An Ursa, which was no match for me!"

A slight smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"Ok after the Ursa- I ran some more. There was something following me, something dangerous… Beowolfs! A-and they cornered me when I turned down the street"

Everything was coming back to him.

"Ok, I killed one and was about to fight the other when… there was a white light. But before that, there was… pain."

The smile on his face vanished.

"Pyrrha… lost. Then- then I was about to die. Yet I didn't, I think someone saved me… I think the person had a bow. There were also gun shots.

While still transfixed on the one spot on the ceiling, he furrowed his brow trying to remember the mysterious person.

"The figure turned around and I saw yellow eyes…It was Blake." he said softly

Although he was extremely grateful his good friend saved his life, she just presented him with a paradox.

"I know Pyrrha lost and the last thing I remember before blacking out was Blake's gunshots. I know that was real. So, when I saw Pyrrha- that was real as well, right?" Jaune weakly attempted to reassure himself.

Jaune turned his eyes toward the sun shining through his window. The gears already starting to turn in his head.

"That was the source of the light. As the sun rose the light increased in intensity and disintegrated everything I saw." At this moment the gears stopped. The dreaded reality hit him hard.

"A dream. That's all it was. A… Damn… DREAM!", he said angrily.

He fooled himself into thinking she was actually alive. He fooled himself in believing they had a chance to be together. He fooled himself into thinking he was strong enough to change anything.

That's when it returned: the void. The void in his soul he first felt after Pyrrha died.

The feeling wasn't obvious when he first awoke but now it was ever apparent. The feelings of guilt, anger, and sadness were spreading through his body.

He wanted to cover his eyes. He felt like he was going to tear up, only this time- his eyes remained dry.

He felt his lips purse together. He felt a slight pressure behind his eyes, yet there was nothing. "I guess… I have no more tears to cry." He closed his eyes and images of his Invincible Girl dissolving in front of him continued to flash in his mind. "What's the point anyway? Tears won't change a damn thing", he said defeated.

He closed his eyes. If it was only just a dream, he didn't want to be awake; he wanted to return to her. He wanted to be able to talk to her and hold her again. But really, what's the point?

"With all this pain, maybe dying wouldn't be so bad. No one knows what happens after death, but if there's a chance I could see her, then mayb-", he was interrupted by a familiar voice that resonated throughout the room.

"Please, Jaune. Don't!" said the omnipotent voice.

"No…" he whispered. Jaune was absolutely dumbfounded. He had to be hearing things, or possibly going crazy. Until he heard it again.

"You must survive!" pleaded the voice. This time, there was no mistaking it.

PYRRHA!?" he yelled as he opened his eyes and sat straight up.

The adrenaline shooting through his system nullified any pain he felt from his neck and back.

He looked straight ahead and noticed a reflection of himself.

"A mirror?" he said puzzled.

Then out of the corner of his eye, standing in the doorway, something caught his attention.

For a brief second, he thought he saw… red hair? And amber-colored armor? But when he shifted his gaze in that direction, all that remained was the door frame.

After this initial shock was over and the adrenaline left his body, a surge of pain riddled his being.

"OOOOWWWW!" he cried out as he flopped back onto the mattress.

"Mr. Arc! What are you doing in there?" shouted a voice from beyond the door.

"Wait, I know that voice. It's-", he attempted to turn his neck through the pain.

Before he could finish his thought, Professor Goodwitch appeared, holding a tray with a bowl and a glass of water.

"Professor Goodwitch! I didn't know you were here!… Wherever here is", he said with a grin on his face.

"This is a shelter that was established for the injured that first night everything happened", she said putting the tray on the nightstand next to him and using a finger to push her glasses to the bridge of her nose as she looked at Jaune.

Suddenly, her stoic stare became an icy glare.

"But this is no time for jokes!" she asserted.

Jaune wanted to retreat a little but there was nowhere to move.

"Let's talk about your behavior young man! Running around in the middle of Vale with Grimm everywhere. You acted so foolhardy that you almost got yourself killed! What were you possibly doing by yourself?! Where were your teammates?"

He could see that she was breathing heavier and slightly red in the face. He knew she was angry at him, livid. Yet, he also knew she was angry because she genuinely cared about him, and everyone else at that school. He must have been in terrible condition when he arrived.

"I-I, well you see.." he started to stutter.

"Out with it young man!" she yelled.

"I was with Pyrrha. She threw me in one of the lockers and shot me into Vale to protect me while she went to battle that woman in the red dress." He didn't dare look Glynda in the eyes when he spoke. He couldn't. He couldn't stand to see the look on her face knowing that he was too weak to help Pyrrha.

Glynda said nothing. Jaune was starting to grow nervous. Professor Goodwitch- known for remarks, scoldings, and lectures- remained silent.

Suddenly he heard her footsteps coming closer to him.

He turned away looking at the wall. She was going to reprimand him, he knew it. Either a lecture, or a slap on the wrist or some other part of the body. Whatever it was going to be, he was sure he deserved it.

To his surprise, the only thing he felt was the weight of someone sitting on the mattress, and two arms wrapping around his waist, gently enough as to not cause him any pain. Then, he heard her voice in his ear.

"I'm so sorry. I truly am", she confessed. "Professor Ozpin and I keep updated on all the students. We knew you two were becoming close. We also knew that what we asked of her meant she would have to choose between you and her friends, or possibly saving the world. In the end, I know which one she chose."

She paused only for a moment to compose herself better. "I'm so sorry to have put you in that situation", her voice was soft and filled with regret. Jaune knew she meant every word of it when a few of her tears landed on his neck.

Jaune finally freed his arms from the confines of his blanket and returned Glynda's hug. Although he wasn't quite sure about what she meant by "choosing her friends or saving the world"; he figured it might having something to do with the woman in the pod. Now was his chance to find out.

He pulled back from Glynda's hug. "Professor, I need to ask you-", he stopped his question as he was caught off guard upon looking at Glynda's face.

The strong, stoic Huntress was looking back at him, tears still flowing from her eyes and a genuine, melancholy smile radiating from her face.

"Yes, Mr Arc?" she asked while wiping her eyes and calming herself.

Jaune couldn't bring himself to ask the question. This was a bittersweet moment and he didn't want to make it more bitter than sweet by bringing up the tragedy that befell the Academy.

"Oh well, Professor, I was wondering…", he sat there awkwardly silent for a few seconds, trying his hardest to come up with a different question on the spot.

"Well?" asked Goodwitch, clearly beginning to lose her patience with him.

All Jaune was able to do was give an awkward laugh, while bringing up his right hand to rub the back of his head. As soon as his fingers touched his scalp he felt a long scab. He finally had his question.

"Professor, I was wondering, how did I end up here? The last thing I remember is someone coming to my aid and then I blacked out. Also…," Jaune was hesitant to ask but he needed to know how much time he lost, "you said the shelter was established on 'that first night'. So how long have I been out?"

Glynda shrugged off her annoyance and answered his questions with a smile.

"Ms. Belladonna brought you to you me… four days ago", Jaune's eyes widened slightly four days!?, "You were in terrible shape. A concussion, several broken ribs, and a broken arm."

He could see her eyes were examining his body for his injuries.

"We knew you would pull through but we didn't know how long it would take for you to move around and be back to full health," said Glynda, as she pulled out her scroll.

"But from the looks of this," she said as she examined her scroll, "your aura is completely recharged. The only reason I can see for your miraculous recovery in a matter of days is due to your aura being quite powerful." She was about to put away her scroll when a notification popped up on the screen.

" Hmm ok, well Mr. Arc I have another patient to attend to. Most of the staff that was aiding me went home to check on their families. Right now I'm attending to you and eleven other patients for the time being." She stood up, put away her scroll, straightened her clothes and checked her reflection in the mirror.

"Now then, if you need me just message me. I'll be here as soon as I can if it's not an emergency", she said as she caught Jaune's eyes in the reflection.

"Well Professor I would but I don't have my scroll anymore. It was a… casualty of battle" he said sheepishly.

"Hmph, ok. Well I'll be back to check on you in 30 minutes. If you need anything before then… just yell in agony. Someone will be around." Jaune didn't know whether or not she was serious, but there was no emotion in her face. So he was going to believe her, just to play it safe.

Glynda started to walk out the door when she stopped and turned around.

"Mr. Arc, before I go I just want you to know that I'm glad you're ok. There's soup in the bowl with a glass of water and some pain medication if you need it. I know it's morning time but you still need to rest. Make sure you take it easy. I'll put the word out to your teammates that you're still alive."

And with that she exited the room.

Jaune reached for the medication and water. He wasn't really hungry as much as he was thirsty, and he would take anything to help quell the stiffness.

He swallowed the pills and downed the water. He gently laid his head back down on the pillow, turning his neck slightly to look out of the window.

"For such a terrible night, the day sure is beautiful." After he laid there a few minutes his eyes were getting heavier. Jaune didn't feel like sleeping before, but he assumed his drowsiness was a side effect of the pain medication.

As his eyes started to close while staring out the window, he noticed a black bird fly past his room.

His eyes followed the bird's flight path from left to right, and as it passed his window, he noticed he could see the edge of the mirror- and what looked like a red haired figure standing over him, reaching out to touch him.

"No, not again! I must be going crazy!" he thought.

Jaune attempted to move his head, to wake himself up, but to no avail.

He fell into a deep slumber.