Talent Reborn
Episode 19: Ayaka's Life on the Line
A Sudden Collapse
Just as relief settled over the medical team, a piercing scream shattered the night.
Haruto spun around, heart hammering.
A nurse knelt beside a collapsed figure.
Ayaka.
His blood ran cold.
Her skin was ashen, her breathing ragged.
Then—she coughed up blood.
Haruto's mind blanked.
"No, no, no—" He dropped to his knees beside her.
Her pulse was weak.
Haruto grabbed her wrist. "Ayaka! Stay with me!"
She tried to speak, but only a choked breath escaped.
The same symptoms.
The same virus.
But how?
She had been careful. Had followed all safety protocols.
And then—it hit him.
The cure they made… might not work on her.
The Clock Starts Now
They rushed Ayaka to the emergency tent.
Haruto shouted orders, his hands trembling.
"Fluids! Oxygen! Start cooling therapy!"
A nurse hesitated. "But Doctor—"
"I said NOW!"
The team scrambled into action.
But deep inside, Haruto knew—this wasn't enough.
Ayaka's condition was deteriorating faster than the others.
Why?
He clenched his fists.
Because she was infected later.
The virus was still mutating.
And the cure he created—was already obsolete.
A Desperate Gamble
Haruto stood frozen.
He had saved Takeda. Saved the other patients.
But none of that mattered if he couldn't save her.
His breath hitched.
This wasn't just any patient.
This was Ayaka.
The woman who had fought beside him.
Who had trusted him.
Who had believed in him.
Haruto grabbed a vial, his jaw clenched.
There was one last thing he could do.
Breaking the Limits
He had copied the skills of hundreds of doctors.
But this time, he needed more than just talent.
He needed innovation.
Haruto pushed himself into the lab, sweat dripping down his face.
He reviewed every data point, every mutation pattern.
And then—he saw it.
The virus was adapting to antibodies.
It wasn't just attacking the immune system—it was hiding from it.
The cure needed one final modification.
A boost.
Haruto's hands shook as he adjusted the formula.
If this worked—
It would save her life.
If it failed—
He would lose her forever.
He clenched his teeth.
Failure is not an option.
The Moment of Truth
Haruto returned to Ayaka's bedside, the new cure in hand.
Her pulse was barely there.
He couldn't wait.
Without hesitation—he injected the serum.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Haruto's breath caught.
No change.
No response.
His vision blurred. Did he fail?
Then—
Ayaka gasped.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Haruto exhaled sharply, his entire body sagging in relief.
She was alive.
She was alive.
Ayaka's lips parted weakly. "Did we… win?"
Haruto let out a shaky laugh.
"Yeah," he whispered. "We won."
But deep in his chest, something told him—
This was just the beginning.
End of Episode 19.