"I’ll be direct with you."
The doctor spoke, his expression tense as he stared down at the notepad in front of him. His grip on the pen tightened slightly, the tip hovering just above the paper as if he were carefully choosing his next words.
"Her condition is critical, and the prognosis is poor. You should prepare for the possibility of the worst outcome. While our team specializes in treating anomaly-related injuries, without identifying the specific anomaly involved, we cannot properly assess the pathology or determine an effective course of treatment."
From the moment Rowan entered the hospital, he had expected the piece of news. He had been preparing himself for the worst.
But, but...!
"The most we can offer is supportive care to sustain her for the next few months. That’s the window in which we can reasonably expect to maintain stability. Beyond that, there are no guarantees. It is highly likely that she will not survive past that point."
The doctor left shortly after, the door closing softly behind him, leaving Rowan alone in the room.
In the silence, the only sound Rowan could hear was the steady beeping of the cardiogram beside his sister. Lifting his head to look at her, his gaze lingered on the numerous tubes attached to her, and a sharp pang hit his chest, his entire body suddenly feeling heavier.
Unknowingly, he stepped forward and sat beside the bed, reaching for her hand. He grasped it tightly, holding onto the faint warmth that still lingered.
"I..."
His lips trembled as he spoke, but biting them, he forced himself to continue.
"...I’ll keep fighting. I have been trying to look for the anomaly that has done this to you, and I think I’ve got a clue. I’ve... gotten stronger really quickly. In fact... our Guild even managed to rank very high in the World Congress."
Thinking about the World Congress, Rowan suddenly smiled.
"We’ve... got someone in our Guild. Someone really strong and talented. He’s also the one who has helped me out a lot. I think that... with him, I might be able to find something. He’s... he’s amazing."
Rowan’s grip of his sister’s hand tightened.
"He may look like he’s tired all the time, but he’s really kind. Haha."
Rowan suddenly laughed.
"He’s actually my therapist, and I can’t count how many times I went to him for a session. Each time... he’d look bothered and try to shoo me away, but in the end, he always listened. I think that if I bothered him again, he’ll listen... haha."
Rowan laughed again, but his laugh was more strained.
"...He’s amazing. I’m sure if it’s him..."
Clank—
Rowan’s words were abruptly cut as he heard the sound of the door opening behind him, and as he turned his head, he saw Zoey enter, her hand reaching for her cap as she removed it, allowing her soft blonde hair to sway behind her.
"I’ve heard from the doctor."
Her expression was grim as she entered.
Coming to a stop next to Rowan, she looked at his siter on the bed.
"She..."
"Only a few months."
Noticing the hesitation, Rowan finished the words for her.
Smiling, he let go of her hand.
"A few months."
He repeated, standing up.
"I think that’s... enough time."
"Enough time?"
Zoey raised her brow.
"Yeah, I think so.
Rowan nodded while looking at the door.
"I think I’ve got a clue about the anomaly, and—"
"You’re planning on asking Seth for help?"
Zoey cut him off before he could finish his sentence. Blinking, Rowan looked at Zoey as she stared at him in silence.
Eventually, she closed her eyes and sighed.
"There’s nothing to doubt about his capabilities anymore. I’d be dumb to call him a lucky bastard. He’s got the skill and the mind for this. He’s likely one of the most talented people I’ve ever seen, but..."
Noticing the hesitation in Zoey, Rowan frowned.
"But...?"
"But I think he’s si—"
Flick!
Zoey’s words came to an abrupt halt as the lights above flickered, dimming for a split second before cutting out entirely. Darkness swallowed the room in an instant, the sudden loss of light making the space feel tighter.
Startled, Zoey and Kyle looked around.
"What?"
"A blackout? Irene! Wait, Irene!"
In the darkness, Rowan immediately rushed to his sister’s side, his face filled with worry as he tried to feel the numerous devices attached to her body.
"Oh, no, no, no..."
"Wait, relax."
Zoey pressed her hand against his shoulder, trying her best to calm him down as she explained, "The devices attached to her have a separate power supply. There’s no need for you to worry too much. She’s still fine, and..."
Right as Zoey paused, she heard a faint flickering above her, the sound sharp in the silence.
Both she and Rowan looked up at the same time as a section of the lights sputtered back to life, blinking unevenly before settling into a dim, unstable glow that barely pushed back the darkness around them.
"The hospital has a backup generator for cases like this. There’s no need to worry. Probably just a random outage."
Although she said this, every part of Zoey’s body was tensed. For some reason, it felt strangely quiet outside.
Looking at Rowan and then his sister, she nudged her chin to the door.
"I’ll go outside to check things. I’ll try asking the nurse about what happened."
"...Please."
Nodding, Zoey headed to the door.
Step—
The sound of her footsteps seemed unnaturally loud, echoing off the walls as she made her way to the door.
She reached out, placed her hand on the handle, and pulled it open.
The moment she opened the door, the hospital’s vast interior came into view, rows of white pillars stretching in every direction beneath the sterile, pale lighting. Just like her room, the place was dim, the lights above flickering weakly.
But more than that, it was the silence that stood out as she looked around and found the complete absence of people deeply unsettling.
’Why is there no one? It’s as if everyone has disappeared...’
Just before entering, she remembered there were a lot of people. Had they all run down?
No, that was unrealistic.
Then...?
Zoey’s entire body was tense as her head moved from left to right, scanning every nook and cranny of the hall as Rowan’s voice echoed from behind her.
"Did you figure anything out?"
"...It’s empty."
Zoey replied, her voice almost a whisper.
"It’s completely empty out here."
Or so she thought.
Step!
All of a sudden, she heard it.
A sharp footstep echoed from somewhere in the distance, and her entire body jolted as she snapped her gaze toward the source of the sound.
Flick! Flick!
The lights above her continued to flicker, a faint, persistent hum filling the air as the footsteps drew closer and closer. Zoey’s heart began to pound against her chest as she scanned her surroundings, her hand fidgeting inside her pocket while she ran through multiple plans in her head.
The footsteps grew closer, each one louder than the last, echoing through the empty space. In a way, from the rhythm of the steps, it almost sounded as though whatever was coming was running.
Zoey’s gaze stayed fixed ahead, her entire body tense and ready to move at any second.
And soon, she caught sight of a silhouette forming in the distance.
When it drew close enough for her to make it out, her tense body eased slightly as she realized it was one of the nurses.
As if also catching sight of her, the nurse was taken aback.
"Why haven’t you evacuated yet?"
Her voice echoed across the hall. However, eyes also lit up at the same time.
"There’s been a blackout. I need some help. Actually, there’s—Ukeh!"
Her words came to an abrupt halt as a figure appeared right behind her, grasping her by the neck as Zoey’s eyes widened.
"Where are you running off to?"
A voice followed.
One that Zoey was all too familiar with.
"...There are still many questions that I need to ask of you."