We walked for five minutes before arriving at a small house. I began to have an inkling of what Kim's plan might be.
"Follow my lead," Kim instructed as she unlocked the door.
Upon entering, a voice from within called out, "Kim, is that you?"
"Yes, it is," Kim replied, stepping into a small room where an elderly woman lay on the bed.
"How has everything been, Claudia?" Kim asked warmly.
"I've been great, thanks to you," Claudia responded, turning her gaze toward me. "Who is this handsome young man? Your boyfriend?"
I quickly shook my head. "No, ma'am. My name is Silas Raven, and I'll be helping Kim from now on," I clarified, dispelling the misunderstanding.
Claudia smiled. "Well then, I hope you'll be there for her."
It seemed she didn't recognize my name.
I nodded. "Of course, I will. She's helped me more times than I can count."
"Okay, let's get started," Kim said, beginning a checkup on Claudia.
As Kim performed her checkup, memories of Lily in the hospital came flooding back, leaving me momentarily lost in thought.
I started wondering who could have brought me to this world and with what power. I recalled the creepy worker who ominously said the game would become my life. I dismissed the thought of him being responsible, as Lily had mentioned people in interviews and on social media describing the game as so addictive it became their lives.
This led me to consider the possibility that others might have been transported here as well and managed to escape. If that were true, I might not be the only one from Earth in this world.
"Las, Ilas, Silas!" Kim called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, trying to refocus. "What's Claudia diagnosed with?"
"Cinderwilt," Kim said, her expression turning somber.
Cinderwilt was an extremely rare disease, one hundred percent fatal with no known cure. It caused paralysis from the waist down, coughing up blood, and extreme pain in random areas.
Of course, there would be no cure if I had no knowledge of the game. Derek, the main character of *Wizards and Wishes*, discovered a plant that cures all illnesses to help one of the heroines' mother, who had Cinderwilt.
I knew exactly where those plants were located. However, despite this knowledge, I wasn't strong enough to venture into that place yet. I would die instantly. I considered asking Luna for help, but my trust in her was still shaky.
"This Cinderwilt would have already taken my life if it wasn't for Kim. I'll forever be grateful for you and what you hve done for me," Claudia said, holding Kim's hands.
"Claudia, you're a strong woman. Even without my help, you would've shown this disease who's boss," Kim replied.
Claudia laughed and thanked her. We then spent a few hours taking care of Claudia before we prepared to leave.
"Thank you again, Kim, for all you've done for me," Claudia said, hugging Kim.
"You deserve the world, Claudia. I'll find a cure soon, and you'll be the first one I give it to," Kim said, her eyes welling with tears.
As we were about to leave, Claudia stopped us. "Can I speak with Silas alone for a moment, please?"
Kim nodded and stepped outside to wait for me.
I stood there silently, confused about what Claudia wanted to discuss.
"My son, Stephen, was a delinquent, always getting into trouble. He used his powers for bad rather than good. It was my fault—I was too soft on him," Claudia began, holding back tears.
"I got diagnosed with Cinderwilt, and Stephen went to find a doctor for me. That's how we met Kim. She was so beautiful and sweet, and she found out about all the bad things Stephen did. She scolded him."
"He didn't take kindly to that and insulted her, but she didn't care and continued to scold him for his actions. Slowly but surely, Stephen began to change, and I could see him growing attracted to Kim."
"As time progressed, Kim showed her feelings for him too. They had plans to get married, but he was murdered."
"The reason I'm telling you this is because she's like family to me, and you're the first person I've seen her get close to since Stephen. All I ask is that you protect her and please don't hurt her," Claudia said, tears streaming down her face.
I was surprised to learn this about Kim. I had never expected something like this, and it made me realize just how little I knew about her. I didn't even know her age or much about her background.
"Thank you for telling me this. I promise to protect her and make sure she finds someone right for her."
"Thank you," Claudia said.
"Also, I'm going to tell you something, but you can't tell Kim," I said.
Claudia didn't respond. Although she didn't say anything, I could tell she would inform Kim if it was something she needed to know.
"I know a way to cure Cinderwilt. The reason I don't want her to know is because she's too kind. She'll attempt to cure everyone, and once word spreads that she knows how to cure the incurable disease, she'll be in danger," I explained.
Claudia thought about it before nodding in agreement. She knew Kim's kind nature and the worlds violent nature didn't mix well.
"It's going to take some time to get the cure, but I'll try my best," I explained.
"No need to rush. I'm happy with or without the cure," Claudia said with a smile.
I nodded and said goodbye, then met Kim outside.
As we walked to another home, I asked, "Aren't you curious about what we talked about?"
She shook her head. "If Claudia wanted to speak alone with you, it's obviously something private. I respect her and won't pry until she decides to tell me," Kim explained.
She's really too kind. I would've been nagging at Lily about a secret conversation if she spoke with someone in private.
Time went by, and we visited house after house, all of which were very run down. Kim explained that she treated patients who couldn't afford a proper doctor.
If I did such a thing with a skill I was extremely good at, Lily would scold me for doing it for free, saying something along the lines of, "If you're good at something, never do it for free."
Which is true, but Kim's doing it for a good reason, which is admirable.
After visiting about twenty or so homes, we finished for the night, and to my surprise, rumors began to spread about me helping out the sick and elderly.
However, no one believed it. They thought I was the one spreading the rumor to fix my reputation.
Although it wasn't working completely, it was definitely a start. As the days progressed, I skipped multiple training sessions with Luna to help Kim treat patients. Luna had been blowing up my phone, but I ignored her, not wanting to hear her complaints.
Through these few days of helping Kim, the rumors spread even more. This time, people were vouching for me, saying I had been helping around the city. Some people thanking me while I walked down the street.
I assumed it was because I had been working with Kim, who was well known around this side of the city for her work.
A few more days of this, and my reputation would be better than ever. Instead of the entire city staring daggers at me, it would be just a very small group of people.