Selena walked quietly through the dark hallway of the hospital. There was no one else around. It was hardly surprising, considering it was almost half past three in the morning.
Even so, several holographic screens lined the walls on either side, displaying short videos about the hospital and health.
Ding-dong!
Suddenly, the notification sound of an incoming message came from her smartphone. She stopped, picked up the phone, and opened it.
When she saw the sender, her expression darkened. Still, she opened the messages and read them.
["Selena, are you asleep yet? Do you know how much I miss you? Huft! I really want Monday to hurry up so we can meet soon!"]Sent at 1:30 AM
["Sending emoji: ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡"] Sent at 1:30 AM
["By the way, let's have lunch together tomorrow! I've reserved a table for the two of us at a seafood restaurant near the academy. I heard it's the most delicious and expensive one around. I just spent two hundred thousand prism crystals to reserve it. So, let's go together!"] Sent at 1:31 AM
["I hope you won't refuse, okay? I've already told my friends to take you to lunch together. If you don't, I'll be humiliated by them ; (◞‸◟)"] Sent at 1:31 AM
Selena's body trembled as she read the string of messages. Her gloomy expression darkened even further.
In the end, however, there was nothing she could do. Without replying, she turned off her phone and slipped it back into her shoulder bag.
She continued walking, head bowed, lost in her thoughts.
***
Arthur stared at the ceiling of his room, lost in thought. He kept recalling his sister's sad expression from earlier and couldn't stop worrying about her.
"She must be depressed because of that bastard… Damn…" He gritted his teeth and lowered his gaze.
Sadness showed on his face as he closed his eyes, stung by the tears that fell.
The person in question was a young man who was constantly pursuing his sister. His name was Tristan Voloid, an outstanding student at Eldrion Academy.
Not only was he talented, but he also came from a very powerful background. According to Selena, Tristan's father was a well-known politician with influence far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
On the surface, Tristan seemed like a promising young man. At first, Arthur had thought the same. But once Selena explained who Tristan really was, his opinion changed instantly.
Beneath his charming demeanor, there were countless bad rumors about him. It was said that he had dozens of girlfriends from various social circles.
Some of these women had even become pregnant, and Tristan had been involved in multiple legal cases. To make matters worse, three of the pregnant women were minors.
It was easy to imagine just how depraved and cruel he truly was. Unsurprisingly, he had managed to escape all charges without consequence.
The victims had been silenced by their powerful father, and the cases simply vanished from the public eye, as if they had never happened.
Whether by bad luck or some other reason, Selena became Tristan's next target. Selena, however, had already realized that he was a bad person and rejected his feelings.
Unfortunately, Tristan was very stubborn and kept pursuing her wherever she went.
It had been more than three months since Tristan started approaching Selena, yet all his attempts had ended in failure.
As a fellow man, Arthur understood one thing: someone like Tristan wouldn't give up easily. He was sure Tristan had already planned something terrible for his sister—just waiting for the right time to strike.
Arthur lifted his head as tears trickled down his cheeks.
"Oh my god, why did you make me like this? What's your reason for torturing me? Are you so happy to see me suffer like this?" He sobbed in a heavy voice. "You took away my parents, and now, you've sent that monster named Tristan to pounce on my sister. Meanwhile, I can only watch everything without being able to help her."
He glared at his paralyzed legs and struck them in frustration.
"It's all because of you! Why are you paralyzed? Because of you, I have to live in misery! Argh…! Argh!"
With tears welling up, he grabbed his hair and covered his face with his arms.
He desperately wanted to die rather than hear any bad news about his sister.
"Oh god, just this once… just this once… If you really exist, show me your power!"
Suddenly…
"Do you want a chance and power?"
A voice whispered in his right ear, making Arthur jolt in shock. He raised his head, glancing left and right in confusion.
"That voice… Am I hallucinating?" He muttered, wiping away the tears on his right cheek.
"It wasn't an illusion. It's real. I'll ask you once more: do you want opportunity and… power?"
This time, the voice came from his left side. Just like before, there was no one else in the room but him.
'Could it be a ghost? Or… a god who heard my prayers?'
His surprise didn't last long. It was soon replaced by a determined, cold expression.
"Yes, I want opportunity and power!" he declared without hesitation. "Even if it means making a contract with the devil, I'll do it!"
His life had been meaningless ever since he lost both his parents and his legs.
The only reason he kept living was for his sister. If not for her, he would have ended his life long ago.
"Devil, huh?" The voice let out a soft chuckle. "Your words truly reflect the desperation of your situation. However…"
It paused for a moment before echoing from in front of him. "I like it. Arthur Morgan, you will be the first and last person to receive my blessing."
Whoosh!
A white smoke appeared in front of his face, suddenly shaping into the form of an exceptionally beautiful woman. Yet her features remained vague, blurred by the swirling smoke.
Arthur stared, stunned, as two hands emerged from the smoke—one on each side of the face—and gently touched his cheeks.
Then, to his utter surprise, the woman leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.
Buzz!
Golden light flowed from her lips into Arthur's, spreading through his body.
Warmth surged through him, but in the next instant, an unknown force seemed to pull at his consciousness.
Thud!
His eyes closed, and his body collapsed onto the bed. The woman's face gradually faded, her faint smile lingering in the air.
"I've given you a chance. How the future unfolds… it depends entirely on your efforts."