In the bustling cotton factory, a young boy with pitch-black hair and striking red eyes, standing tall at 180cm, was meticulously picking up boxes from the floor. On his forehead, a mysterious mark added an air of intrigue to his appearance. Just as he lifted the last box, the door to the room swung open, revealing a blonde man with captivating green eyes clad in a snug shirt. This man was none other than Henry Williams, his co-worker, friend, and roommate.

Henry had arrived in Mist Haven after a devastating natural disaster struck his hometown, Silver Brook. At the tender age of sixteen, he had tragically lost his entire family, prompting him to seek a new life in this unfamiliar town. Asher Blackwood, the young boy with the unique mark, extended his hand in friendship and offered Henry a place to stay.

As they toiled together in the cotton factory, their bond grew stronger, and they became inseparable friends. Today was no different as Henry entered the room, after entering he asked him curiously

"Asher, have you heard the rumours of Neverland that are on everyone's lips these days?" Henry asked, walking closer to him.

"No, I haven't. I'm hearing it for the first time from you," Asher said, his level of curiosity rising.

"Hey man, something strange is happening these days. Have you noticed anything lately? They say it's the doing of people from Neverland..." Two men who sat across their table said in a whisper, but it wasn't as though both friends couldn't hear them.

"How can people believe in this type of nonsense? These things only happen in fairy tales," Asher replied, feeling irritated by the nonsense he just heard.

"Asher, I think they might be telling the truth. I also saw some strange footprints the other day at the back of our house."

"Let's leave this topic and focus on work. The boss is about to come," Asher said, ignoring what Henry said.

Asher took a look at the time, and there were just a few minutes more before twilight. He decided to return home a bit early since Henry wasn't feeling well and had to leave his work incomplete.

As he lazily strolled to the small riverbank where he always rested and fed the fish, he spotted an old lady carrying heavy suitcases and helped her since it seemed proper.

After which, he returned to the riverbank. He stared at the sky, and tried to remember his past, revealing the sorrow he always kept hidden with a smile.

It suddenly hit him that the next day was Henry's birthday, and not sparing a single minute, he ran to the shop to get a lovely painting as a gift for him, knowing very well his love for art. After which, he returned home and made sure he hid it properly, awaiting the next day.

Dawn arrived sooner than expected, and Asher jerked out of his bed, making his way to Henry's room, hoping to wish him a happy birthday. But he was nowhere to be found.

Asher gets outside and finds Henry in the courtyard

"Hey, Asher, you're awake," Henry said, startling him a bit, but he kept his composure.

"Yes, where were you?" He asked quietly, taking a seat.

"I went to the market to buy some eggs for breakfast. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, forget it. Anyway, happy birthday to you! Congratulations on turning 21. I'm so lucky to have a beautiful and caring soul like you," Asher said with a bright smile.

"Thank you, thank you so much! I'm glad you remembered my birthday."

"Of course, how could I forget my brother's birthday?"

"Okay, since it's my birthday, we have to make breakfast together."

"Okay, let's do it, but before that, I have a surprise for you," Asher said, restricting his steps.

"Okay," He replied with a small smile, but his eyes suddenly grew bigger seeing what Asher held.

"Oh my goodness, thank you, bro, you're the best," Henry said, holding the painting, and Asher couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

"Alright, it's time for breakfast," Asher said, walking into the kitchen.

They both had their breakfast while grinning from ear to ear when a heavy crash from the sky disrupted their peace.

"What is that?" Henry asked, shock visible on his face.

"Don't know, let me check," Asher replied with a calm expression.

He went out just to find a big rock from the sky. While he was still checking around, he was taken aback by surprise seeing what the stone was.

He quickly restricted his steps to go back into his house when a humongous rock fell on his house too. Remembering that Henry was inside made him quicken his steps.

When he saw the rock fall on the same place where Henry was standing, he fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face. It felt like the end of the world for him

He shouted Henry's name and quickly entered the house through the window of his room. He felt his heart break as he slowly approached the fallen rock.

And what did he see? Henry was safe; the rock hadn't hit him, but it had crushed his left hand. Asher, relieved to see Henry alive, felt a surge of hope.

But the next challenge for him was to free Henry's trapped hand from under the rock. He hurriedly moved towards Henry and sat down, talking to him while Henry was barely conscious.

Asher in a shivering voice "Hey! Hey, Henry, wake up! It's me, Asher. Open your eyes, don't worry, I'm going to get you out of this. Don't lose hope."

Henry, who was barely conscious, replied, "I know you will save me."

He tried to pull Henry's hand, but it wouldn't move. He had no choice but to consider cutting off his hand. He rushed to the kitchen, grabbed an axe, and returned to Henry.

However, he struggled to bring himself to cut Henry's hand. Tears flowed down his face as he hesitated.

Henry, unconsciously, "Do it..." He replied with tears in his eyes. "I can't..." Henry in a loud voice, using all the energy he had. "I said, do it."

Asher screamed and, with great pain, cut off Henry's hand. Henry lost consciousness due to the immense pain. Asher cried and trembled as he picked him up and ran towards the herbalist.

But as they stepped outside, they saw the whole town in chaos. Debris fell from the sky, and people were dying. The town was engulfed in flames. High flames touched the sky, and the atmosphere was heated. Asher had no choice but to take Henry to the nearest neighbouring town, EverGreen, which was about 8 km away.

He quickly found a horse at a stable, stole it, and rode towards EverGreen. It took them around 30 minutes to reach the town, but Henry had lost a lot of blood. Even though Asher had tied a piece of cloth around the wound, the bleeding continued.

Desperate for help, Asher called out to someone as they entered the town, known for its medicinal expertise. People came to him, and he asked where he could find a doctor's clinic.

"Please, tell me where I can take my friend. Where is the doctor's clinic?"

A man told him, "Go straight and then turn left. You'll find an old man with white hair and a long beard named Yuan Xhin. He will help you."

Asher rode in the indicated direction and luckily found Yuan Xhin at the turn of the road. Asher approached him and spoke.

"Hey, old man, are you Yuan Xhin?"

An old man in a polite voice said, "Yes, I am Yuan Xhin. What's the matter, young boy?"

"Please save my friend."

The old man, after seeing Henry, replied, "Come quickly. My clinic is nearby. He has lost a lot of blood."

Asher did as the old man said and took his horse to the old man's clinic.

After arriving, he helped the old man to take Henry off the horse. He then laid Henry on the bed, and the old man told Asher to wait outside while he performed the surgery.

The old man called a nurse into the room and then went inside to operate on Henry. Another nurse also came to Asher. The old man had sent her to take care of Asher's wounds.

The nurse came to Asher and said, "Please follow me, sir. I will show you the way to the ward."

He replied, "I can't come with you. I can't leave Henry behind."

"Don't worry, sir. He is in good hands. Your shoulder is bleeding too."

Asher hadn't even noticed that he was bleeding. He didn't know where he had gotten the cut. He followed the nurse to a room, where she bandaged his wound and offered him some food and warm tea.

From their clothing and lifestyle, it was clear that they were Chinese.

Asher murmured, "Who is this old man?"

The nurse listened to him and replied very gently, "He was a monk. But now he serves humanity as a doctor and the greatest surgeon in the whole town.

"If he was a monk, why is he doing this doctor stuff?"

"He is doing this because his family died from a disease with no known cure, known as Dread Shade Fever. So he became a doctor to find a cure for this disease."

The nurse then put an anaesthetic in Asher's tea so that he could rest and relax. Asher fell asleep, and when he woke up, the sun had already set. He went out of the room and looked around, but there was no one there.

****

(Dread Shade Fever is a spooky and mysterious sickness that makes people feel extremely scared and anxious. It's usually connected to dark and cursed locations, and no one knows where it comes from)

Author's note: If you like it, add it to your library and please support my book