<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Curiosity kills the cat. Romeo had warned his stubborn grandson time and time again not to dig into the Treasure Box.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He had told him countless times to leave it alone, not even to mention it to anyone. Keh had promised just as many times, but in the end, he hadn’t really listened.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The result? A brutal, bloody bacsh–one that couldn’t be undone, no matter how deep their regret ran.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Romeo, so furious he nearly fainted, felt a rush of anger and bitter regret. He had managed to keep the Treasure Box safe for over a decade, relocating it often to avoid detection.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But a simple mistake–a chance encounter where Keh discovered the box’s hiding ce–had unraveled it all.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">This investigation had exposed everything, and now there was no one left to me.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As Romeo slumped back onto the bed, his face drained of color and his breathing grew erratic.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">His men, rmed, quickly called for a doctor. After a quick check, the doctor’s face grew grim. “He’s having a myocardial infarction. Move him to the resuscitation room, now!”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The nurses quickly wheeled Romeo away, leaving Keh standing alone, his arm hanging at his side. He looked lost, defeated.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">“It’s all my fault,” he muttered, voice barely a whisper. All for a curiosity he couldn’t control, for doubts he refused to let go of. He’d wanted answers, yet those answers had brought cmity on his family.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">“Grandpa.” Watching the emergency room light turn red, Keh felt the weight in his chest grow. The empty hallway felt vast, cold, like he was standing alone in an open field, each gust of wind hitting him like shards of ice.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Covering his face, he felt his hands begin to shake.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Tiffany sighed and stepped forward. “He’ll be alright.”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">With her spirit herbs strengthening Romeo’s heart and extending his life, if that still couldn’t save him, her reputation as the Miracle Healer might truly be on the line.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But some wounds–well, no amount of herbs could heal those scarspletely.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Tiffany wasn’t sure how tofort Keh, so she left a small, white ss bottle by his side and slipped away quietly.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">*****</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Back at Luna Vi, Tiffany rubbed her temples and went straight down to the Medicinal Haven in the basement.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">June was still there, standing watch over a small box on the table The Eternal Herb inside showed some slight burn marks, but luckily, the damage wasn’t severe.</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Tiffany began grinding the Eternal Herb into powder, squinting a little–her vision was still a bit blurred but would be fully clear in a day or two. “Alright, Eternal Herb, this… and that..”</font></font>
<font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">After preparing everything, finally, she nicked her palm with a small knife, letting a few drops of her blood blend in; being immune to poisons, her blood added extra resistance to the mixture.</font></font>
Then, she ced a careful 5% of the blend into the alchemy furnace. Seven hours would be enough for the medicine to be ready.
June brought over a first aid kit with a look of concern. “No one is going to recognize all you’re doing here. Why push yourself so hard? And look at your face–you’re hurt badly. Doesn’t it hurt?”
She gently dabbed a cotton swab on Tiffany’s wound, disinfecting and treating it. The wound was deep–a bullet had grazed her, leaving a harsh cut on her once–perfect skin. Anyone who saw it would feel a little tug of sympathy.
June worked carefully, trying not to hurt Tiffany more than necessary, but the disinfectant and medicine still stung. Tiffany didn’t flinch or say anything, just staying quiet.
A few minutester, June finished and said, “You should get some rest. I’ll stay here and watch over everything.”
Tiffany immediately shook her head. “Not happening.”
Without missing a beat, she added, “We’re almost there. Just seven more hours, and everything will be done. I can’t let anything go wrong now.”Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.
She hadn’t slept much during the trip, and now that things were finally settling down, she refused to rest.
June could see how exhausted she was, and it made her heart ache. But she knew there was no changing her mind. “Alright, I’ll stay with you then.”
“Alright.”
Tiffanyid down on the nearby couch, keeping her eyes closed, but she didn’t fall asleep. For the next seven hours, June didn’t leave her side, either.
When the alchemy furnace finally opened, Tiffany quickly packed up the ten or so pills that were ready. She wasted no time, hurrying out of the basement.
“Prepare the car,” she said, already moving toward the door. She was heading to Royal Bay.
June followed closely, worry written all over her face. The rain was stilling down, and the chill of autumn set in.
It was two in the afternoon, and Tiffany was struggling to stay awake. As Royal Bay grew closer, her heart began to race uncontrobly.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Richard. She wondered how he was doing and how much longer he couldst. There was no time to waste.
*****
At Royal Bay, Sidney was pacing, his brow furrowed.
If a person remained in a deep sleep for too long, their body would start to shut down. Medicine could only help for so long, but if it stopped working, the only thing left would be death.
“Why isn’t he awake yet?” Sidney muttered to himself, his steps quick and anxious.
He turned again, eyes locking onto the figure lying motionless in the bed. He couldn’t help ncing at him once more, now for the eighth time.
Richard’s face looked just like it always had–handsome, serene, but still. His eyes were closed, and even in his deep sleep, he had that noble, almost arrogant vibe about him.
Sidney walked up and shook his shoulder. “Come on, wake up already!”
If Richard kept sleeping like this, they would really be out of options.
Sidney paused, thinking his words might need a little more weight. “Tiffany is waiting for you. If you stay like this, she’ll end up with someone else.”
Sidney didn’t know if his words hit a nerve, but just as he finished speaking, Richard’s eyes shifted slightly. Still, he didn’t wake up.
Sidney kept shouting for a while, but nothing changed.
“Dammit,” Sidney muttered, feeling helpless. With no other choice, he let go and turned around.
What he didn’t see, though, was that the moment he turned away, Richard’s eyelids twitched again. The pendant around his neck glowed with a soft blue light–just like the light from the Treasure Box. It was mysterious, almost magical.
The light rushed into Richard’s body and disappeared in an instant. It was so fast that no one noticed.
Then, the pendant settled back to its usual quiet, silver full moon shape.
Tiffany had given him that pendant a long time ago, and she had worn it for as long as she could remember.