#1: Heal

I stood by the window, watching as birds soared across the sky, their wings cutting through the air.

Below, the leaves drifted slowly to the ground, carried by the gentle breeze. It was a quiet moment, almost serene.

A soft ding of the bell rang, signaling the arrival of a customer.

"Good morning, doc," Aunt Gretel greeted, settling herself in one of the chairs in the waiting area.

"Good morning," I replied, offering her a warm smile.

She raised an eyebrow, glancing around. "Is Alena not around today?"

"No, she said she needed a day off for personal matters," I explained as I moved closer, gently pressing my finger to her wrist to check her pulse.

"Well," I said after a moment, looking up at her with a slight nod, "you're feeling much better than the last time you came."

"Indeed, I've been feeling a lot better after the herbs and medicine you gave me these past three days," Aunt Gretel said with a relieved smile as I moved toward the counter, gathering a few items for her.

"Since you're doing well, I'll just prescribe some more herbs for another five days, and you should be all set," I told her, preparing the next batch of treatment.

She looked up at me, a mixture of gratitude and concern in her eyes. "I'm really glad you're here, doc... Healers don't usually come to small villages like ours. And the ones who do are so expensive. There are only a few in the Kingdom of Valandor, and they're mostly unavailable to people like us—those who can't afford it."

I smiled softly, meeting her gaze. "Well, I might not be like those magical healers who can heal wounds within seconds," I said, preparing the herbs carefully, "but I do like helping people with the knowledge I have. It's the best I can offer, and it makes a difference, even if it's not as fast as magic."

After jotting down the herbs on a small slip of paper, I handed it to Aunt Gretel, explaining each one carefully. "Make sure to drink this before breakfast," I reminded her with a gentle tone. She nodded, offering a warm smile and words of gratitude before heading out.

The sky outside was already shifting to hues of orange and purple, with nightfall approaching.

Since I would have to venture into the forest in hopes to find some medicine herbs or even magical herbs, I decided to close up early today.

My stock of herbs was running low, especially the Lunaris Fern. A rare and delicate plant that only bloomed under the soft glow of moonlight and was renowned for curing certain stubborn illnesses.

Currently cleaning my clinic, someone suddenly burst into the door

"Sorry, but we're already clo-"

"Miss... Please, you need to help my son" A voice of a man spoke from behind making me look at him, if I'm not wrong, he's in his mid-30s, seeing people from behind carrying an unconscious boy, I quickly dropped the broom, removing my cleaning cap as I quickly prepared the bed

"Place him here," I instructed firmly. The men quickly obeyed, gently laying the boy down. His skin was ashen, his breathing faint.

I reached for his wrist, feeling for a pulse—it was alarmingly weak.

"Please, remove his clothes," I said, my voice calm but urgent. The men hesitated, glancing at one another. I sighed, attempting to ease their discomfort. "You don't have to worry about modesty. I've studied anatomy extensively during my practice."

Reluctantly, they complied, and as I examined the boy, my suspicion was confirmed. Two puncture marks were visible—one near his thigh, the other on his foot.

"Snake bites... How long was he unconscious" I asked

"E-earlier"

"I need a specific time"

"It... It took us almost 15 minutes to get here so i think he lost consciousness over maybe at least 25 minutes already" One of the men spoke with his shaky voice

"Then please step outside, all of you... we don't have much time, if he will be over 30 minutes, he'll die from the venom" I demanded while preparing the surgical equipment from small to large.

The men hesitated, their fear palpable, but they eventually obeyed, filing out one by one. All except for the boy's father, who clung tightly to his son's hand.

"Can I stay?" he pleaded, his voice breaking. "I won't interfere, I swear. I just... I just want to hold his hand."

I hesitated, weighing the risks. His presence could complicate what I needed to do, but if I forced him out, he might become suspicious—and I couldn't afford distractions. With a heavy sigh, I nodded.

I pulled the curtain down, closing us off from the outside. Turning to the boy's father, I spoke as calmly as I could. "I'm going to cut the skin where the bites are and remove as much venom as possible. It will be painful, but it's the only way to save him. Hold his hand tight, and stay calm."

The father nodded, gripping his son's hand like it was the only thing keeping him steady.

I sterilized the knife and made a small cut near the bite on his thigh. Dark blood mixed with venom oozed out, and I used a suction tool to draw it out. But as I looked at the darkened veins spreading across his skin, I knew suction alone wouldn't be enough to save him.

Glancing at the father, who was focused on his son, I quietly let a faint warmth flow from my fingertips as I pressed them near the wound.

My power worked silently, pulling the venom from deep within his body and concentrating it near the bite. The darkened veins slowly faded as I moved to the bite on his foot and repeated the process, guiding the venom out until his pulse grew stronger and his breathing steadied.

Once I was sure the worst was over, I cleaned the wounds with an herbal antiseptic to prevent infection and prepared a small vial of antidote I'd made earlier from the Lunaris Fern.

 I injected it just above the bite on his thigh, watching closely as the boy's body twitched slightly, a sign the antidote was working.

Once I was certain he was completely okay, I reached for a small vial of sleeping medicine. "I'm going to give him a pain reliever," I told the father as I injected it into the boy's arm.

However, it wasn't for pain—it was to keep him asleep longer, giving me time to make everything appear normal and avoid raising suspicion about what I'd done.

Finally, I wrapped the wounds with clean bandages soaked in a healing poultice to draw out any remaining poison. I let out a slow breath, turning to the father. "The venom's been neutralized, but he's still weak. I suggest you stay here for the night so I could check on him every hour"

The father nodded, his eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you," he whispered, holding his son's hand tightly.

I glanced at the boy's pale face, exhaustion settling over me. "He'll need time to recover, but he'll be okay"

His father thanked me, his voice heavy with emotion, as did the men who had waited anxiously outside.

I offered a small, tired smile before they left, while the two stayed here

Later that night, as I retired to my bedroom, I let out a long sigh, the weight of the day finally settling on me.

That was a dangerous move, Thalia... I thought, rubbing my temples. You shouldn't use your powers like that. If anyone finds out, you'll end up just like your mother.

The memory sent a shiver through me, and I sighed again, sinking into the bed. No matter how careful I tried to be, sometimes there was no other choice.

If only she just left me behind, she could surely escape my father's grip.

I was still a child, just learning how to walk when that day happens.

My father always abused my mother, emotionally... physically... and even using her own magic for his own gain, not carrying if mom was exhausted or not. He was cruel....

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