Chapter 54: A Stupid Decision.
The moment he stepped farther into the ward, however, the atmosphere changed completely.
A suffocating pressure immediately settled over him.
Ethan’s breathing became heavier as he felt the corrupted energy hanging thickly in the air, almost as if the entire room had been filled with invisible smoke.
His eyes quickly landed on Rin.
His friend was lying on the hospital bed, his face pale and twisted with pain despite being unconscious. Sweat coated his forehead while his breathing came out unevenly, his body occasionally twitching beneath the sheets as the corruption continued to ravage him.
Ethan’s chest tightened.
"Rin..."
He hurried toward the bed.
He could see faint traces of corrupted energy moving beneath Rin’s skin, spreading like dark veins before fading again, and the sight alone made Ethan’s heart pound.
He had seen corruption before. He had also seen what it had done to Drey.
But seeing it consume Rin was different.
This was his best friend.
The only person in this world Ethan genuinely trusted.
He couldn’t just stand there and watch.
Ethan slowly extended his hand toward Rin. I zzf there was even the slightest chance that he could guide him, then he had to try.
His fingertips were only inches away from Rin’s skin when—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A sudden commotion erupted outside the ward.
Ethan immediately froze.
His hand instinctively retracted.
Voices echoed through the corridor, growing louder with every passing second.
Ethan’s heart began pounding violently against his ribs.
Then he heard a voice he recognized.
"Why is the door locked?"
Ethan’s entire body went rigid as another voice followed, sounding confused.
"Who’s inside?"
****
Ethan’s eyes darted around the ward in search of an escape route, his mind scrambling desperately for somewhere he could disappear before whoever was outside came in and discovered him. Unfortunately, there was nowhere obvious to run, and the only possible hiding place he could spot was a narrow space behind one of the large medical storage cabinets near the far wall. It was barely enough room for him to squeeze into, but at this point, Ethan wasn’t exactly in a position to be picky.
He would quickly unlock it, slip inside, find somewhere to hide and wait until whoever was coming passed by. It wasn’t the greatest plan in the world, but it was certainly better than being caught standing outside Rin’s ward when he had been explicitly warned not to enter the infirmary.
At least, that was what Ethan thought.
Unfortunately, he realized how stupid the decision was about three seconds too late.
The moment he unlocked the door and pulled it open, the door was pushed from the other side with enough force to send it swinging inward, and Ethan barely had time to step back before he found himself standing face-to-face with Principal Ronan and several doctors dressed in white coats.
Ethan stood rooted to the spot. His palms immediately began to sweat.
Oh, fuck.
Of all the people who could have found him in here, why did it have to be Ronan?
Ronan’s expression darkened the moment his eyes landed on him, his brows drawing together as he looked Ethan over from head to toe before glancing past him into the ward.
"What are you doing here, and how did you even get in here?"
Ethan opened his mouth, desperately searching for an explanation that wouldn’t make him sound like an idiot, but before he could utter a single word, footsteps sounded behind him.
Drey stepped into the ward.
He cleared his throat calmly, giving Ethan one slow once-over before turning toward Ronan as though this entire situation had been planned from the beginning.
"I brought him in."
Ethan stared at him.
What?
He genuinely didn’t understand why people seemed to be lying in his favour these days.
Was his luck finally becoming good?
He quickly nodded, silently backing up Drey’s statement.
"Yes," he quickly added. "Exactly. He brought me."
Ronan, however, didn’t look convinced in the slightest. His confused gaze shifted between the two of them.
"Eh?" he questioned, clearly trying to understand what the hell was going on. "May I ask why?"
Drey remained perfectly composed.
"I decided to let Ethan attempt to guide the injured Sentinels."
Ronan’s eyebrows rose.
But Drey continued without hesitation. "He successfully guided me during my previous rampage, so it is reasonable to test whether he can do the same for the others."
Ethan stared at him.
Wow.
Drey was finally putting his brain to use.
Maybe nearly dying had knocked some sense into him after all.
One of the doctors immediately frowned in disapproval.
"Lord Drey, with all due respect, that’s a waste of time. We are already working on a solution for the injured Sentinels, and bringing in an untested Guide will only complicate—"
Drey slowly turned his head toward him.
The doctor immediately went quiet.
Drey’s expression remained calm, but there was enough warning in his eyes to make the doctor’s shoulders stiffen.
"You’re working on a solution?"
The doctor swallowed.
"Yes."
"And how is that going?"
The doctor immediately fell silent.
His mouth opened, then closed again before glancing awkwardly toward the other doctors then lowering his head.
Ronan cleared his throat. "Enough. I give Ethan permission to attempt it. Let’s see where this goes."
The doctors exchanged reluctant looks but didn’t argue further.
Ethan, meanwhile, was beginning to feel the weight of the situation settle heavily on his shoulders.
He had come here because he wanted to save Rin.
Now everyone was standing around waiting for him to prove that he could.
Great.
No pressure whatsoever.
Ethan slowly walked toward Rin’s bed.
His heart tightened when he looked down at his friend’s pale face again.
"Okay," he muttered beneath his breath. "Let’s try this."
He reached out and placed his palm against Rin’s forehead.
He closed his eyes.
He gathered the spiritual energy inside his body and attempted to establish a connection, trying to reach toward Rin’s mental sea the same way he had reached Drey’s.
Nothing happened.
Ethan frowned and tried again.
He pushed his spiritual energy forward, searching for the familiar sensation of entering another person’s consciousness, but something immediately resisted him.
It felt as though an invisible barrier had been erected around Rin’s mental sea.
Every time Ethan tried to push through, the barrier repelled his spiritual energy, forcing it back into his body.
He gritted his teeth.
What the hell was this?
He tried again, increasing the amount of spiritual energy he was using, but the result remained the same.
The barrier didn’t even tremble.
Ethan’s breathing gradually became heavier as he continued trying, but no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t get through.
Eventually, he had no choice but to pull his hand away.
He let out a defeated sigh.
"I tried."
Everyone’s attention immediately shifted toward him.
Ethan looked toward the doctors.
"I couldn’t establish a connection." He hesitated before adding, "It feels like the corruption has already spread too deeply. It’s taken root inside his body, and I can’t reach his mental sea."
The moment those words left his own mouth, he felt a chill.
The words left a cold feeling in Ethan’s stomach.
If he couldn’t even enter Rin’s mental sea, then how bad was his condition?
The doctors immediately moved toward Rin, exchanging serious looks as they ushered Ethan away from the bed.
"That’s enough. We’ll take over from here."
"We’ll continue treatment ourselves."
"Please step outside from the ward."
Ethan reluctantly stepped outside, but the moment he was out of the ward, he began pacing restlessly in the corridor.
His mind wouldn’t stop spinning.
Rin was getting worse.
He had failed to guide him.
And he had no idea what he was supposed to do now.
He dragged a hand through his hair, his anxiety steadily rising, until Drey suddenly stepped in front of him.
Ethan stopped.
Drey reached out and caught his arm, turning him around to face him.
Ethan turned sharply fixing him a harsh glare "What?"
"I just saved your life."
Ethan frowned. "And so?"
Drey’s gaze remained fixed on him.
"I need something in return."
Ethan immediately swatted his hand away.
"Seriously? Seems that punch from earlier hasn’t taught you a lesson."
To Ethan’s surprise, Drey chuckled.
It was the first time Ethan had ever heard the usually expressionless Sentinel actually laugh.
Instead of finding it amusing, however, Ethan only became more irritated.
How could this man laugh at a time like this?
"I didn’t ask for your help," Ethan snapped. "So I’m not giving you anything in return. Besides, you didn’t even give me as much as a thank-you when I saved your life, so don’t suddenly start acting like I owe you some kind of favour."
Drey’s eyes slowly travelled over Ethan’s face, studying him for several seconds as though weighing something in his mind.
Then he finally spoke.
"Then what if I told you I could cure Rin?"
Ethan’s entire body went still.
Drey’s gaze never left his.
"Would you consider it?"