Chapter 14: The Burning Purification
The playful argument about the mixed vegetables died down quickly as the reality of the night set in. The clock struck midnight, and the air in the small apartment turned cold. It was time for the second dose of the purification serum.
Ren's hands shook as he lined up the vials on the wooden table. His left eye throbbed behind the bandages, a constant reminder of the price he had already paid.
"Hana," Ren said, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "You heard what Liraver said. This is going to be worse than the first time. The serum has to fight the infection that's already settled in your bone marrow."
Hana nodded, her face pale. She sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers clutching the bedsheets until her knuckles turned white. "I'm ready, Ren. Do it."
Ren carefully mixed the thick, ruby-red Purification liquid with the dark wine-colored Heal Ver 4. As the two liquids touched, they began to hiss and bubble, emitting a faint purple steam.
"I have to apply it to your whole body, Hana. No gaps," Ren whispered.
As he began to rub the mixture onto her skin, the reaction was instantaneous. As soon as the liquid touched the faint purple veins on her arms, Hana's back arched. A silent scream died in her throat as her eyes rolled back.
"Hana! Stay with me!" Ren cried, his own heart breaking.
The room began to smell like burning ozone. Where the serum touched the infection, the skin turned a bright, angry red. Hana began to thrash, her body temperature skyrocketing. Ren had to use all his strength to hold her down with one hand while applying the medicine with the other.
Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over Ren. As he saw his sister in such agony, a surge of heat traveled from his chest, down his arm, and into his fingertips. For a split second, the red liquid in the vial glowed with a faint, golden sparks.
The moment the 'sparked' liquid touched Hana, her thrashing stopped. Her breathing became rhythmic, and the dark purple veins seemed to retreat faster than before.
Ren gasped, pulling his hand away. What was that? he wondered, staring at his palm. He felt drained, as if he had just run a marathon in a single second.
By the time the bottle was empty, Hana had fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep. The fever had broken. Ren slumped against the wall, his vision blurring. He was covered in sweat and his jaw was bleeding again from the stress, but he looked at Hana's leg. The purple mark had shrunk by an inch.
He stayed there on the floor, watching her breathe, until the sun began to peek through the shattered window. He had no time to rest. In an hour, he had to be back at the restaurant, facing the bullies and the trays, all while hiding the secret that his own blood might be changing.