Among the numerous restaurants in town, there was Yummy Restaurant, situated in the heart of the town. It was a classic restaurant offering a wide range of delicious dishes and was known for its cordon bleu standards. The restaurant employed a large number of staff to ensure its smooth operation.
One of these employees was Xu Jing, a handsome young man of about eighteen years old. He was tall, slim, and very polite with customers. These qualities helped him maintain his position in the restaurant, even though he was paid very little for his services.
Xu Jing was the first son and the first child of Asahi, a former enchanter. He had two younger siblings: Fugi, a four-year-old boy, and Izumi, a nine-year-old girl.
Xu Jing became an orphan six years ago after his parents were involved in a tragic road accident. Fugi and Izumi, both very young at the time, were deeply affected by the loss. They no longer interacted freely with their friends and would often cry themselves to sleep at night. In the mornings, they would leave for school, missing their parents terribly. Xu Jing, feeling the weight of their grief, tried his best to comfort them, though he was often at a loss for how to help.
With his parents gone, Xu Jing was burdened with the responsibility of being the breadwinner of the family. This role weighed heavily on him, but he was determined to take care of his siblings. He decided to send them to a boarding school, hoping it would provide a better environment for them to heal. After careful consideration, he enrolled them at Kiss Children's School.
One day, while Xu Jing was working at the Yummy Restaurant, his friend Akio, who worked there as well, called out to him from across the room.
"Come on! We've got plenty of work to do!" Akio shouted, his voice full of energy.
Xu Jing looked up, knowing it wasn't his task to handle, but it was clear that Akio wasn't going to let him off easily. Xu Jing walked over and gave him his usual friendly smile.
"I hope this isn't one of your tricks to get me to help you," Xu Jing said with a sigh. "I'm really tired and worn out. I can't help you with anything today."
Akio shrugged. "I just need you to help me clear the dishes. Is that too much to ask from a friend?"
Xu Jing hesitated but knew that Akio was persistent. In the end, he agreed, knowing it was difficult to turn down a friend in need.
"Hey Jing, have you checked out the latest game?" Akio asked, his voice light and teasing.
Xu Jing raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? I don't know of any new games, aside from Roles of Gods. Is there something else I missed?"
Akio grinned. "It's called Tunnel of Demons. I think we should try it out. It's only forty cents."
Xu Jing frowned, remembering that he had paid for the last game they bought. "The last time we bought a game, I was the one who paid. You really want me to pay for this one too?"
Akio laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll pay this time. You're just too pinchy with your money," he teased.
Xu Jing shook his head but didn't respond. He simply walked past Akio, carrying a tray of empty plates. He had heard that comment so many times before that it no longer bothered him.
As he entered the back room to drop off the plates, an unsettling feeling washed over him. It was like a bad omen, something powerful and foreboding. He tripped over nothing and barely managed to stay on his feet. The plates didn't fall, and he let out a breath of relief—if they had, they would've been deducted from his already meager wages.
But what truly unsettled him was the omen. He rarely experienced such things, but when he did, they usually came to pass.
Just as he was about to leave the back room, his phone rang. The ringtone echoed loudly in the quiet room.
"Ulaa ulaa alaa ulaa..." the phone blared.
Xu Jing answered the call, his heart racing. The voice on the other end was unmistakably male.
"Are you Xu Jing?" the caller asked.
"Yeah, who is this?" Xu Jing responded, still on edge. "If you're calling to ask for the menu, we've got pasta, ravioli—"
The caller interrupted, his voice urgent. "I'm not calling for food. Listen carefully. Kiss Children's School was raided by beasts last night."
Xu Jing froze. His heart dropped to his stomach. "What?" he managed to whisper.
"Your sister is in the hospital," the caller continued. "As for your brother, Fugi, we are still searching for him, but there's no need to panic."
Xu Jing's blood ran cold. "How did this happen?" he asked, his voice shaky.
"Unity Hospital, ward 132," the caller replied before hanging up.
Xu Jing stood in shock for a moment, the phone still in his hand. His instincts had been right—he had felt something terrible was going to happen. If only he had known, if only he could have prevented it.
He didn't waste another second. He bolted out of the back room, his heart pounding with fear and anxiety.
"Jing! Jing!" Akio called out, but Xu Jing didn't stop. He ran straight out of the restaurant, heading for the street. He immediately hailed a taxi to Unity Hospital, his mind racing. He had to get to Izumi. He had to make sure she was okay.
At the hospital, Xu Jing paid the taxi driver and rushed inside, not caring about anything else. He needed to find his sister.
"Where is my sister?" Xu Jing demanded, grabbing a nearby male nurse by the arm.
The nurse scowled and pulled away. "What's wrong with you? Get a hold of yourself!"
Before Xu Jing could react, a doctor approached. "What's the matter?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.
"I need to see my sister!" Xu Jing said urgently.
"Which ward is she in?" the doctor asked.
"123," Xu Jing replied, his voice trembling.
The doctor checked the list of patients and nodded. "I'll show you to her ward. Follow me."
The nurse, still irritated, led Xu Jing down the hallway. When they reached the door, the nurse turned to him. "Don't disturb her. She's in a coma."
Xu Jing nodded and opened the door. Inside, he saw his sister lying in the bed, covered in bandages. His heart broke as he rushed to her side, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Izumi," he whispered, his voice shaking. "I'll protect you. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. I promise, when this is over, I'll take you out of that school and put you in a better place. This is all my fault. I should've sent you to a day school. I should've done more." He squeezed her hand gently. "Please, don't leave me."
He looked at the heart monitor beside her bed. His heart pounded in his chest, and he couldn't shake the fear that she might not survive.
Just then, the doctor entered. "Sorry, but you need to leave for now. She needs rest," he said gently.
Reluctantly, Xu Jing stood up, following the doctor out into the reception area.
The doctor looked at Xu Jing with a sympathetic expression. "Your sister's condition is very critical. She was attacked by beasts last night. An enchanter brought her here—thanks to him, she's alive. Without him, she would have been another casualty, like the seventeen others."
Xu Jing felt a knot form in his stomach. "How much is her treatment?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The doctor hesitated before responding. "The cost is six hundred dollars per day. The initial treatment is an additional four hundred dollars. So, the total bill is one thousand dollars."
Xu Jing's heart sank. One thousand dollars? He didn't have that kind of money. How could he possibly afford it?
The doctor placed a hand on Xu Jing's shoulder. "I know it's a lot, but if you can pay, I'll start treatment immediately. If we wait, she may not survive."
Xu Jing was left in a daze. He had no way to come up with that kind of money. But one thing was clear—he couldn't let Izumi die. He had to find a way to get the money—and fast.