As I sat alone at dinner, the dimly lit restaurant began to close in around me. The clinking of silverware and chatter of other patrons faded away as my senses honed in on something more pressing: my body. I felt a gnawing discomfort deep within me, a sense of wrongness that I couldn't quite place. It was as if my liver was trying to tell me something, sending signals of distress that I couldn't ignore.
As I looked down at my plate, I noticed that my hands were shaking. My eyes drifted up to the mirror behind the bar and I saw the yellow tint in my sclera, my bloodshot eyes staring back at me with a sense of urgency. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself, but as I shifted in my seat I felt the strain on my legs and ankles. They were swollen, and my shoes felt tight as if they were cutting off circulation.
I excused myself from the table and made my way to the restroom, hoping to find some relief. As I passed the hostess stand, I stumbled and had to catch myself on the counter. A jolt of pain shot up my side, and I doubled over in agony. I could barely stand, let alone walk, and I knew that something was seriously wrong with me.
I made my way out of the restaurant and into the street, the cool night air doing little to soothe my aching body. Every step was a struggle, and I had to stop and rest every few feet. The hospital was only a few blocks away, but it might as well have been on the other side of the world.
As I came closer and closer to the hospital, my condition only seemed to deteriorate. I was starting to vomit constantly while walking, and I felt like collapsing at any moment. My skin became more and more itchy, and I couldn't resist the urge to scratch myself raw. I could barely see through my bloodshot eyes, and my urine had turned a dark, unsettling color.
"I'm almost there... just a bit longer," I said to myself, but I knew that I was running out of time. There would be a point where I would not be able to take it anymore and collapse from the pain. If I didn't get to the hospital soon, that time would come.
I looked at the hospital, so close in distance, but I could barely walk at this moment in time. My legs were weak, my skin was itchy, and I felt like my eyes were going to burst out of my head. That's when a nurse noticed me.
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" she said as she rushed up to me.
"I think I ruptured my liver," I managed to reply before coughing up blood.
"Oh my... you will be transferred to the ICU right away!"
"I DON'T NEED THE ICU! Get a medic to heal my liver at this moment, there's no reason for me to stay-" I collapsed to my knees and started coughing out blood profusely. There wasn't much time left, WHERE ARE ALL THE MEDICS?
"Heal." She put her hand on my liver and healed it perfectly.
"Usually I don't simply use magic to heal patients, I like to go through the process of surgery, I find it more fun risking the patient's life than doing something that dull."
"What the hell... what is wrong with you?"
"There's nothing wrong with performing surgeries on patients that need it."
"WE ARE PAST THAT, YOU COULD SIMPLY HEAL PEOPLE IN SECONDS YOU SICK-" There was a man towering over my head.
As I cautiously strolled down the narrow alleyway, my heart pounded relentlessly against my chest. The darkness seemed to envelop me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following me. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man appeared before me, as if he had materialized out of the shadows. My mouth gaped open in shock as he spoke my full name with such familiarity.
I was completely taken aback, unable to comprehend how he knew my classified information. I was certain that I had never divulged it to anyone. I attempted to express my confusion and disbelief, but before I could even say anything, he swiftly silenced me, ordering a woman who had been passing by to leave the area.
As I watched her hurry away, a sense of unease and trepidation crept up my spine. My apprehension only grew as the man unleashed a beam of flame-like energy, which incinerated the unfortunate woman in seconds. I was paralyzed, unable to fathom what was happening.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed, my voice shaking with anger and fear.
The man simply smiled that same insidious grin he had when he introduced himself. I could sense his bloodlust radiating off him, and I realized that I was in grave danger. Despite my terror, I tried to compose myself, attempting to hide the fear in my voice.
"So what do you want from me?" I asked, praying that my voice wouldn't betray my anxiety.
However, his reply only intensified my trepidation. He spoke ominously, telling me that there was something he needed to take from me before it consumed everything I held dear. He gestured towards my chest, and my heart leaped into my throat.
"What is this thing that you want from me?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice steady.
He pointed to my chest again, his smile growing wider, and a chill ran down my spine. His words and actions made it abundantly clear that he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted from me.
"You aren't touching anything I own," I said, trying to sound brave, but my voice quavered slightly.
"Listen, kid," he said with a tone of authority. "I'm a government official. I know everything about you - your origin, your parents, your unbelievable skill to learn things at such a fast pace. You are special in every way because of what's inside you, and if you don't hand what you have over to the government, I'm afraid as to what is going to happen to this planet."
I felt a knot form in my stomach as he spoke, realizing that he knew more about me than I had ever suspected. I wondered what it was that he was after and why it was so important. My mind raced, trying to come up with a way out of the situation, but it seemed that there was no escape.
"You aren't taking anything from me," I said, my voice gaining confidence.
"Then I guess you'll have to die. It's a shame we had to come to this," he said.
My heart dropped at his words, and I knew that I was in deep trouble. He took off his coat and strode towards me, his fist glowing with a dangerous energy that I could only assume was magic.
"I really thought this was some sort of joke. I guess not," he sneered.
"Do you fear death?" he asked me, his voice laced with malice and venom.
"I should be the one that is feared," I retorted, my voice ringing with defiance.
"You have quite the balls to be saying that, child," he chuckled.
"Absolve"
As I called out the incantation, I could feel the threads of magic weaving through my fingertips, reaching out to the man in front of me. With a flick of my wrist, I grabbed hold of his hand with my strings, using them like a puppeteer to force him to punch himself in the stomach. His face twisted in pain as a deep wound opened up on his skin.
His reaction was quick, muttering out a surprised gasp, but before he could retaliate, I unleashed a dazzling burst of light. It was like a flood of pure energy rushing forth, illuminating the darkened alleyway with its brilliance. The man staggered back, taken aback by the force of my spell.
For a moment, he seemed to be reeling from the impact, but soon he recovered and teleported behind me. With a swift move, he grabbed my arms, twisting them behind my back, rendering me immobile. I struggled against his grip, but his strength was too great.
The man spoke in a low voice, his tone measured and firm as he declared that I was under arrest for refusing to cooperate with a government official. I protested his accusations, indignant at his actions, but he remained unmoved. He warned me of my rights, even though I was only twelve years old.
Suddenly, he began to float in the air, carrying me with him to some unknown location. I felt a sense of fear welling up within me, wondering where he was taking me. He brought me to a private property, and I heard a voice calling out to him.
"Welcome back Mr. Brown, I see you apprehended the target."
"He was a bit of a hassle, but he will do what I ask him to, isn't that right, Sora?" he asked me.
I was filled with a sense of dread, unsure of what fate awaited me in the hands of this man. His tone was cold and calculating, and I knew that I was not safe in his custody.