I look at them
Her legs occasionally twitching
"Your… not in pain?"
Her gaze lowers to the side
Fingers curling up
"Ie-it hurt at first…. But then…."
"-It numbed out."
"touch?"
Slowly lowers her chin
mana Sense-
There was a thin spring not pulsing upward from the hips.
"Is pain sensors and sense sensors different?"
Silence
'Oh well, healing potion will fix her up'
I carefully feed her the potion
But to my horror
Her expression instantly twisted in pain. She face red as she screamed at the top of her lung
I quickly activate mana sense.
"wha-what?! Why not working?..."
In a fit of panic, I overwhelm the nerve that was previously disconnected. The nerve snapped.
Huff* Huff*
In moments her whole body was covered in sweat. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
She had a hand on her eyes; tears could be rolling down from the side.
I try healing skill. In desperation I try to push the bone in place.
None of it does it.
My hands remained on her leg, fingers curling up.
'w-why isn't it working?'
My shoulders shook,
'It re-really is true…'
Tears streaming down falling on her legs
'I-I can't help anyone, I can only make things worse….'
Inside her leg, the healing potion had done its job. The nerves and muscles were healed. The bones mended too.
But,
The bone of the right leg didn't lodge back into the socket. The healed muscles caused the bone rifted further.
On the left leg, the snapped piece of bone had not gone back to its original position. It was stuck in the newly healed thigh bone. Again, the bone had been completely healed to perfect condition.
My breath became shallow. I knelt as legs gives up. My hands fell to my side.
Hug
'huh?'
She had her arms wrapped around me.
"I-It's okay. You tried your best."
That didn't help. My shoulders shook more violently.
She, with difficulty, circled her hand on my upper back.
"It's okay, tha-thank you. You have helped enough."
"Besides if not for you, fate far worse than death awaited me."
Following her example, others too started trying to console me, some patting on the shoulder, gently passing their hands on my head.
'i-if she screamed at me, I would have felt nothing
'But why is she being gentle'
'Being not able to walk, doesn't she understand..'
"W-why are you being nice, why are you not screaming? ….DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!!! N-NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK MEANS DEATH!"
She pauses for a second, face neutral. Then bares a gentle smile
"This was never your responsibility. And… if I am destine to die, might as well. Why scream to you, young light."
'w-why good people end u-up like this'
It was getting difficult to breath
For a long time I stayed like that. Not a moment she stopped.
'Wh-why won't the bone move back….'
But then my eyes snap open as an idea struck.
"…Noona…"
"Yes?"
"I….have an idea."
She looks at me, as if telling me to go on.
"…I can try to place the bones back manually"
"?"
"Like I will try to first push it manually, as in cut the flesh open….."
"…..do you think it will work?"
"…"
"I will try… but… I may make it worse, previously I thought, healing potion was like a restart card-"
"Do it"
I watch her with wide eyes
"….it may not work, in fact it may make it worse…You sti-"
"What's the worst that can happen?"
Her broken smile…
My heart ached, as if a knife has been stabbed in.
I griped till my knuckles turned white.
"It may get bloody; can anyone please hold her eyes closed?"
"Please don't, I-I want to see it."
"Are you sure"
Nod
"fine"
Gulp.
Cleaning her legs, I move her, setting her down on a much cleaner area.
After some searching, I bought several things, including blood regeneration pills
Right leg first.
I made a small but a deep cut to the bone, enough to insert a finger to move the bone in place.
My Mana Sense was active at maximum output.
I move her leg, and attempt to get it in
Fail.
The muscles kept pulling the bone out of alignment.
I gradually inserted one finger after another
Still unable to make progress
Haaaa
I push my hand in,
Rip
Blood bursting out.
The skins and muscle tore as the cut wasn't enough. Disregarding that, I pushed through to her bone.
Her blood coated my whole arm. Her muscles tightened around my arms.
I feel her heart beat quicken as more blood pumped out. Thankfully, the pill was working exactly as its description.
Despite the amount of blood pouring out, the circulation on her upper body remained functioning.
"Any pain?"
Her face was pale. Her dazed eyes fixed on what I was doing to her leg. Her hands trembled as she clasped them tightly against her chest.
I repeat the question, louder!
Snap
Slowly, she tore her eyes away from her leg.
I repeat one more time as I stare at her eyes.
She shook her head, trying to relax her body.
I tightened my grip around the bone as a push again.
I managed to close the gap, but it still refused to slide into place. 'Should I cut these muscles?'
But then I notice, maybe putting the leg upwards might help.
I maneuver the leg try to get it in the socket
It refused to enter, hovering just above the socket
Rip
The tair just got bigger,
'Applying force from here...seems unlikely to work'
I put her leg on my shoulder, freeing my left hand as I cut another opening in the hip, near the socket itself.
The bones were open, blood pouring everywhere.
Finally!
The bone slid in the socket.
But I don't apply heal just yet.
I call over one off the others.
They all stood frozen, their bodies stiff. My voice snapped them out of their trace.
"You lay down here with you hip close to me"
Though her face reddened a little, she quickly complied.
Keeping pressure on the joint so the bone wouldn't slip out again, I pulled my right hand free and placed it on the other girl's hip.
Mana flooded her, around a specific area.
'so, that muscle should be there….'
I get back to fixing things up.
The concentration of mana on her lower body became so dense that the light around it warped.
I put heal specifically on the bone attachment.
But it wasn't over just yet.
I spent over 40minutes, fixing the muscles.
And the only reason was the nerves. I had to be careful not to mess that up.
"HUFF*" "HUFF*"
We were on a pool of blood, her blood. She was covered in her own blood.
I stare blankly at her.
Moment of truth-
"…nonna….can you move your leg?"
I didn't realize when I bit down hard on my jaws.
Blood tickled down my side yet my foccus on her.
She too stared at her right leg.
Slowly she started to move it.
10seconds turned to 20seconds
Then minutes
With help she stood up on her newly healed leg. She limped given her other leg is still mostly nonfunctional.
I watched how she moved her leg; I put a hand just above her lower back, as support in case she falls but also to focus on the leg muscles.
Everything appears to be normal; nerves appear to fire just fine.
I look up, eyes met.
Her eyes were watery.
But 5 minutes in, I stop her.
Her other leg-
I lay her down carefully.
After washing the blood of I get to planning.
'Since the bone has healed itself, I need to chip it then position the broken piece and give healing'
Pant* Pant*
My mind felt exhausted.
After another bloody struggle
'Success'
She started at her legs
Wiggling her toes
Moving her leg
Trying and able to get up and walk.
Tears were flowing none stop.
Her eyes, once filled with nothing but resignation now had something.
-life
She pulled me into her chest, holding onto me with all her strength.
She cried at the top of her lungs.
For the first time, her voice carried emotion other than resignation
"TH-Thank you ….Thank- you …. I do-don't know how to replay you but thank you.."
She kept thanking me.
I hugged her back.
For some reason, I found myself crying too.
My guard slipped in front of a complete stranger.
I felt Human. That maybe…
The feeling something words alone couldn't describe.
"I-I never valued walking before, Th-thank you…"
I just kept smoothing my hand on her back.
I felt proud but also guilty,
For how much mana was pushed through her legs, they had lightning like marks running all over her them.
After a long time, her crying finally subsided.
Then all of a sudden, her face turned crimson.
"...Noona?"
She immediately looked away. She bit her lips, jaws clenched tight.
My heart skipped a beat.
"Wait."
I immediately pour mana in her.
"Are you hurting somewhere?"
She froze. The face down to her collar became bright red.
"..."
"I can't detect anything abnormal?"
Panic immediately set in.
Mana Sense activated at full output.
I scanned her body again.
Nothing.
I move my hands around, searching every place with detail.
No torn muscles.
No damaged nerves.
No internal bleeding.
Nothing.
[Demon-like Judge of Fire screams, "Idiot! She's embarrassed, not injured!"]
"..."
"..."
It took several seconds for the words to register.
Embarrassed?
My gaze slowly drifted downward.
Then it clicked.
She was naked.
Like naked naked.
"...ah."
My entire body froze.
'…so for the last hour of two…I have been….'
"WAIT!"
"It's not… no I ..it…"
"No, I mean—"
My brain immediately short-circuited.
'And I was hugging her...'
"My hands..."
I look at her than my hands
"I-I'm not some pervert!"
I stumbled backward.
"It was because your condition was serious!"
"And healing requires direct contact!"
"And then—"
"And then—"
My explanation somehow only made things worse.
A small laugh escaped from her.
Then slowly the others too.
I froze.
They were laughing.
Actually laughing.
[The abyssal black flame dragon clutches his stomach in laughter. H-he became a tomato again]
[Demon like judge of fire finds you antique cute. She clutches her chest like a cute arrow pierced her heart]
[Some constellations who were worried about you mental wellbeing are relieved.]
...
I slowly turned toward a nearby mirror.
Red.
Face Completely red.
'AAGGGHHHH!'
….
I walk to the wash room,
Alone
Steps uneven,
Mirror
Just like the day it all started
Covered head toe in blood.
But my heart felt calm, in my memory, she's here, still holding me.
I splash cold water on my face
Again
And again.
At some point, Shin Yoosung appeared in the hug.
The urge to rush to her hit me like a hammer.
At one point, Ji-Yoon Noona vanished.
My breathing stopped.
I quickly looked up … blood
Blood everywhere
I was covered in blood.
Shin Yoosung slowly looked up to look at me.
Eyes filled with terror.
I stumbled down on my butt.
"HAH! … HAH!...HAH!"
My breath became ragged.
I slowly bring my hands upward
Shaking violently.
water over flowed from the sink, slowly making a pool beneath.
Using the wall as support I slowly wake back to the sink start splashing water again
I try to smile
It was crocked, hollow.
'It will be better that I don't stay near her'
'I only worry her and make her cry. Like I have to all whom I loved.'
'It's for the better I don't be near her, so that I don't curse her with death like I done to the rest'
Tears wear streaming down my face.
'I am a monster, why would she want to be near me'
'I like to fight; its only will get her killed if she's near me.'
'Like others she would also say that she wants to separate'
'GKH-'
I start dry retching.
I stare at the mirror,
Despite knowing everything, my heart…
It wanted to heart it.
From her.
I stood with both hand on the edge of the sink, staring at the water.
Despite my mind screaming.
My heart holding onto the greatest sin of all-
Hope.
…
It's the next morning
I am now wearing white shirt, black jacket, pants, but boots are the old pair, couldn't find anything better.
The previous day, I had to give them some pointers.
"I guess it's time it time for me to go."
I exhale slowly.
"Remember weakness means being at the mercy of others"
"I have done the most I am able to, live carefully from here on."
They stood by the station entrance. "….C-can't we not f-"
"No!"
My sharp answer startled them. They heads slowly lowering as hope crushed.
'It's better this way.'
They expressed their gratitude, some hugging. Biding essentially a farewell with little hope of meeting again.
Last to send me off was Jin Ae-rin, of whom I healed her legs.
She is a very tall woman. I had asked her. Apparently, she's 6 feet 2 inch.
She lowered onto one knee before me, getting eye to eye with me
"Thank you for… for giving me a second life"
Her head lowered
"….-know I can't go with you.."
Her grip tightens on the bone spear
"Like you said, I will be stronger"
I nod in affirmation.
She hesitated
"I…..I..."
"….please don't die … be careful"
"I ain't planning to die any time soon."
I smile at them.
'I pray you all live well'
[Song of the sea is proud of you]
[Demon like judge of fire is singing in relief]
[One eyed father looks at you with interest]
[Secretive plotter looks at you with complicated eyes]
[The constellation aligned with good a satisfied with you]
[You received sponsor of ...