Talent Reborn
Episode 31: The Failing Gift
A Perfect Surgery—Until It Wasn't
Haruto stood in the operating room, scalpel in hand. The patient on the table had a ruptured aortic aneurysm—one of the deadliest conditions a surgeon could face. But Haruto wasn't nervous.
He had seen the best surgeons perform this procedure before. He had copied their technique, their precision, their confidence.
He made the incision with practiced ease.
The operating team watched in awe as Haruto worked. His hands moved with mechanical perfection, each motion seamless.
And then—
His hands froze.
For a split second, confusion flashed through his mind. His fingers wouldn't respond. The knowledge, the skill, the talent he had copied—it was gone.
The scalpel slipped.
A sharp beeping filled the room.
"Doctor, the patient's blood pressure is dropping!" the anesthesiologist warned.
Haruto's heart pounded. His ability had never failed before.
What was happening?
Fighting Against the Odds
"Clamp!" Haruto barked, forcing himself to move. He had to stop the bleeding.
But without the copied talent, he was slower—hesitant.
Renji, who was assisting, noticed the change immediately. His sharp eyes flickered with suspicion, but he said nothing.
Instead, he stepped in, taking control.
"Retractor," Renji ordered, his movements swift and precise. Within seconds, he had stabilized the patient.
Haruto clenched his jaw.
For the first time since gaining his ability, he felt helpless.
A Terrifying Realization
After the surgery, Haruto rushed to the hospital's rooftop, gripping the railing tightly.
Why had his ability failed?
Every time he copied a talent, it became his own. It had never disappeared before.
He took a shaky breath, recalling the patient from before—the man who had been experimented on.
"They made me do things… pushed my body past its limits… and then one day, something went wrong."
Could it be…?
Was his ability unstable?
Or worse—was it fading?
A Warning from Renji
"You froze."
Haruto turned. Renji stood a few feet away, arms crossed.
Haruto's expression hardened. "I handled it."
Renji scoffed. "Don't lie to yourself. You hesitated. That's not like you."
Haruto looked away. He couldn't tell Renji the truth—not yet.
But Renji wasn't an idiot.
"Let me guess," Renji said. "Your 'miraculous' skills… they don't feel so reliable anymore, do they?"
Haruto's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"
Renji took a step closer.
"I don't know what's going on with you," he admitted, "but if you want to survive in this world, you'd better figure it out fast."
He turned to leave, then paused.
"Because next time? No one will be there to cover for you."
Haruto watched as Renji disappeared into the hospital corridors.
His fists clenched.
He had spent so much time relying on his gift.
But now, for the first time…
He was terrified of losing it.
End of Episode 31.