Chapter 1: The Doctor’s Last Operation
Arch 1: The Mad Prince
The hospital lights buzzed faintly above, dimmed under the pressure of the storm raging outside. Rain streaked across the glass windows like racing veins, pulsing with the chaos of the city. Inside Operating Room 4, however, it was calm—controlled.
"Scalpel."
The word left Elric's lips firmly, a command rather than a request. Gloved hands passed him the blade, and he made the incision with surgical precision. The room was filled with beeping monitors and the faint breath of a life depending on him.
The man on the table wasn't just any patient. He was a congressman—shot in a public rally just two hours ago. The news was already plastered everywhere: Celebrity Doctor Elric Saves Congressman Again! This would be his third high-profile emergency save in six months.
He didn't do it for fame. He did it because he was good at it. No, because he had to be good at it. He had worked from the bottom, mocked as a "third-rate intern" with no background, no family, and no mentor. Everything he became, he earned through stubbornness and sleepless nights.
Elric glanced at the monitor. The heart rate was stabilizing.
"We're past the danger zone," he said, voice steady. The surgical team exhaled in relief. But Elric didn't relax. Something was off.
There was... too much silence outside the OR.