Talent Reborn
Episode 18: The Cure That Doesn't Exist
The Virus Spreads
Haruto sprinted through the overcrowded field hospital, his heart pounding.
A doctor—one of their own—had collapsed.
If the virus was now infecting medical personnel, their entire operation was in danger.
When he arrived at the scene, he saw Dr. Takeda—a senior physician—convulsing on the ground.
His skin was pale. His breathing shallow.
Haruto grabbed a stethoscope, pressing it against Takeda's chest.
Irregular heartbeat. Rising fever. Signs of internal bleeding.
It was the same pattern.
But Takeda had been perfectly healthy that morning.
Ayaka arrived seconds later. "We need to isolate him—now!"
The nurses scrambled to move him to a quarantine area.
Haruto clenched his fists.
This virus… was evolving too fast.
And if they didn't stop it—none of them would make it out alive.
Searching for Answers
Haruto and Ayaka worked through the night, analyzing patient records.
Ayaka sighed in frustration. "No common source. No specific age group. No clear transmission method."
Haruto rubbed his temples. "Then we're missing something."
He reviewed the blood test results again.
And then—he saw it.
Every infected patient had abnormally low oxygen levels.
Ayaka leaned over his shoulder. "Hypoxia? But why?"
Haruto's mind raced. "What if this isn't just a virus? What if there's an environmental factor?"
Ayaka's eyes widened. "You think something in the water?"
Haruto stood abruptly. "We need to test it. Now."
A Desperate Gamble
They rushed to a nearby well—the village's main water source.
Haruto took a sample, analyzing it under a portable microscope.
And what he saw made his stomach drop.
Tiny, unnatural particles were floating in the water.
Not bacteria. Not a virus.
A synthetic compound.
Ayaka whispered, "This was put here on purpose."
Haruto gritted his teeth.
Someone had designed this outbreak.
And they had just walked into it.
The Breakthrough
With this discovery, they worked nonstop to create a treatment.
But there was a problem.
There was no existing cure.
They would have to invent one.
Haruto took a deep breath.
He had spent his entire life copying the talents of others.
But now—there was no one to copy.
If he failed, people would die.
If he succeeded…
He would prove he was more than just his ability.
Haruto rolled up his sleeves.
Let's make history.
The First Test
Hours later, they had a prototype serum.
But there was no time for clinical trials.
The first patient—Dr. Takeda—was fading fast.
Haruto held the syringe in his hand.
If this worked, it could save everyone.
If it failed…
Takeda's life would be on his hands.
Ayaka met his gaze. "Haruto… do it."
Haruto took a breath—and injected the cure.
A tense silence filled the tent.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
Takeda's breathing steadied. His fever dropped.
And then—his eyes fluttered open.
Ayaka gasped. "It worked."
Haruto exhaled sharply, gripping the table for support.
They had done it.
But even as relief washed over him, one thought lingered in his mind.
Who created this virus?
And more importantly—why?
End of Episode 18.