The first day of training was a mix of excitement and nerves. The training center buzzed with activity. We were given a brief tour of the facility—a maze of classrooms, labs, and practice wards, where we would learn the skills needed to handle mana-related injuries and illnesses.
Our instructor was unexpectedly a seasoned Mana Medic named Dr. Vellar, a doctor who had treated me before and asked for my help while at the hospital. Seeing him up close, I think he was a strict but fair person. He wasted no time in making it clear that this wouldn't be easy. "Mana is unpredictable," he said during our first lecture. "It can heal, but it can also harm. As Mana Medics, you'll walk a fine line between the two. There's no room for mistakes."
Hearing him was enough for me to think this training gonna be hella difficult.
I was right because the lectures were intense and filled with information about the properties of mana, the different types of mana poisoning, and how to use mana-infused medical tools. But it wasn't just theory—we were also trained in practical skills, like mana channeling techniques, stabilizing patients with mana poisoning, and even detecting different types of mana in the field.
The days were long. But I felt surprisingly motivated. Every new lesson felt like a step toward something meaningful. When I called Amus after work hours. The me who was feeling exhausted became quite exhilarated. Maybe it was the fact that she was always there to listen and encourage me. The way that she believed in me, and that made all the difference.
Damn, I am in love with her so bad!
That is what I thought every night.
Then weeks turned into months. More and more, I became confident in my abilities. I learned how to use mana to enhance healing and recognize the symptoms of mana-related conditions.
At the time, there was a tissue regeneration method using mana, which I had experienced doing but was not really great at doing. There was another thing that you can regenerate bone for... or was it to reinforce it? I didn't remember.
TL/DR everything wasn't easy, but I was driven by the knowledge that I was helping shape the future—both for the world and myself.
Okay, that maybe was too much sugarcoating. I was actually saving up every penny I earned during my apprenticeship, quietly planning for the day when I could finally ask Amus to marry me. It wasn't a plan I shared with anyone else, not even my fellow trainees. To them, I was just another guy trying to make it in this new world. And that was fine by me.
What mattered was that I was on my way, taking steps toward a future that was still uncertain but filled with possibilities. Every day brought new challenges, opportunities to learn, and reasons to keep pushing forward. And as long as I had Amus by my side, I knew I could handle whatever came next.
As time flies, It has been nearly a year since I started my journey as a Mana Medic. Things were finally beginning to feel normal—or as normal as they could in a world where mana flowed through everything.
My apprenticeship was going well, and I was steadily building up my savings. I'd even found a small ring I planned to give Amus when the time was right. Life, despite its challenges, was beginning to look up.
But then, everything fell apart.
A rumor emerged of a few isolated cases of a new strain of mana poisoning that was resistant to the treatments we had been using.
At first, we didn't think much of it. After all, mutations happen continuously in viruses, and we have successfully developed treatments before. But this was different. The cases weren't just resistant; they were evolving rapidly, spreading faster than anything we'd seen before.
One evening, as I was heading home, Dr. Vellar called me into his office. The look on his face told me everything before he even spoke.
"Thalamik, we've got a serious problem," he said, his voice grave. "The virus is back, and it's worse than before. It's attacking the very core of mana control in those infected. No doubt it will eventually become a global catastrophe if we don't stop it now."
Dread was instilled into my very being. This was the nightmare. An outbreak that could undo all our progress. "What can we do?" I asked, forcing myself to stay calm the way I was trained.
"We need to develop a new treatment. But we're running out of time. The virus is spreading like wildfire!"
Before I could fully process what he was saying. The door to his office burst open, and a nurse ran in, saying, "Doctor, we have a problem—Thalamik's vitals are spiking. He's showing symptoms of mana instability!"
I blinked once before realizing she was indeed talking about me.
As a rule, since the cases are getting higher, medical personnel are tasked with wearing a monitoring device on their bodies to measure their vitalities, which ensures they don't have mana poisoning. But I never thought this would happen to me.
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest, and I doubled over, gasping for breath. The room spun, and I could feel the mana inside me spiraling out of control. I had seen this happen to patients before—their own mana turning against them, disrupting their ability to control it.
I was infected.
The next few hours were a blur of chaos and pain. I was rushed to a quarantine ward, where my colleagues surrounded me, working desperately to stabilize my condition. The irony wasn't lost on me—I had been training to treat others, but now I was the one on the table, struggling to hold on.
As the virus tore through my system, the pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. My body felt like it was being torn apart, my mana lashing out uncontrollably. I could barely think, barely breathe, as wave after wave of agony washed over me.
But even through the haze of pain, one thought remained clear: I couldn't just lie here and let this happen. I had to do something. I couldn't let this virus destroy everything we had worked for. And I couldn't leave Amus behind, not when I had promised her a future.
When Dr. Vellar came to check on me, I forced myself to speak. "Doc… do it. Use me to find a cure." I rasped, each word a struggle. "If there's… any chance… I can help… do it."
He looked at me with a mixture of horror and admiration. "Thalamik, you don't have to do this. The process could kill you."
"I know," I whispered, my vision blurring. "But if there's… a chance… to stop this… I'll take it."
"No, I can't possibly…."
"DO IT!!! IF I DIE. At least keep my family safe from this virus."
There was a long pause before Dr. Vellar nodded, his expression grim. "
"I can't ever thank you enough, Thalamik. Behalf of humanity, I thank you."
I forced a smile on him as he called the other doctors.
"Attention doctors, all hands on deck! We'll try an infusion of high-purity mana combined with the antiviral medicine we've been developing. It's our best shot."
The next few days were a nightmare of pain and uncertainty. I was subjected to countless tests and treatments, each more excruciating than the last. The experimental infusion was like fire coursing through my veins, burning away everything in its path. At times, I wasn't sure if I was alive or dead, lost in a haze of agony that seemed endless.
I want to die….
No, I can't die….
Why can't I die…
Amus…
I need to stay alive for Amus….
I held on—for Amus, my family and friends, and everyone who had put their hopes on surviving this endless pandemic. The thought of them kept me going, kept me fighting even when I wanted nothing more than to give in. If I were to be experimented. No... even If I were ever to do this accursed treatment repeatedly. I will fight back. I will fight the virus.
As the treatments continued, the virus fought back, adapting faster than anyone had expected. The pain was unbearable, but I forced myself to endure. I will live.
I lost track of time, lost in a cycle of treatment and recovery. My world was reduced to the small, sterile room that had become my prison. The doctors and nurses came and went, their faces blurring together, their words a constant stream of encouragement and updates that I could barely comprehend.
***
One day, the pain began to lessen. The treatments started to work slowly but surely, driving the virus back and stabilizing the mana within me.
"DR. VELLAR, HE'S STABILIZING! HIS VITALS ARE…!"
It was a slow process, but as the days passed, I could feel my strength returning, my control over my mana gradually restoring.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dr. Vellar came to my bedside with a small, tired smile. "You did it, Thalamik. The virus is in remission. We're already seeing the effects in the other patients—we might just have a cure."
Relief washed over me, overwhelming in its intensity. I had made it. We had made it. The virus was still out there, still dangerous, but we had found a way to fight back.
"Thalamik…. I…" Dr Vellar hugged me. "Thank you, son. Thank you so much for your hard work."
The other staff cheered as they all shed a tear. But my response was rather a cocky one.
"Hey, I am cured, alright, but let's finish the job. Create the cure already!" I said with a smile.
Then motivated eyes emerged from all of them as Dr. Vellar told me, "We'll make sure to finish the job!"
As they exited, I lay back on the bed, exhausted but alive; I allowed myself to think about the future again. In a future where this nightmare was over, I could return to Amus and finally build the life we had dreamed of. It was still a long road ahead, but for the first time in months, I felt hope.
And that hope was enough to keep me going.