Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Fevered Night

The clinic had fallen unusually quiet.

The last patient had already returned home, and the evening sun disappeared beyond the rooftops of the village.

Kyle remained unconscious on the small wooden bed in the corner of the clinic.

A damp cloth rested on his forehead.

Lumi stood beside him, twisting the edge of her apron between her fingers.

Her eyes were filled with worry.

"I've never seen him like this before..."

Lyra gently replaced the cloth with a fresh one soaked in cool water.

His skin was still burning.

The fever had not eased.

Lumi looked at Lyra.

"Will he be alright?"

Lyra hesitated for a brief moment before answering.

"I believe so."

"He needs rest."

"And someone to stay with him."

Lumi lowered her head.

"I wanted to help..."

"But I don't know what to do."

Lyra gave her a reassuring smile.

"You've already done enough."

"You brought fresh water."

"You helped him with the patients all day."

"There isn't anything more you can do tonight."

Lumi looked at Kyle once again.

Her expression softened.

"He always takes care of everyone else..."

"It doesn't feel right seeing him like this."

Lyra quietly adjusted the blanket covering him.

"Tonight..."

"I'll stay here."

Lumi lifted her head in surprise.

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

"For now, he shouldn't be left alone."

A long silence followed.

Finally, Lumi nodded.

"...Thank you."

"I'll bring breakfast early tomorrow morning."

Lyra smiled gently.

"I'll be waiting."

Lumi took one last look at Kyle before walking toward the door.

Just before leaving, she turned back.

"Please..."

"Take good care of him."

"I will."

The door closed softly behind her.

Silence returned to the clinic.

Only the faint sound of the wind outside and Kyle's uneven breathing filled the room.

Lyra pulled a chair beside his bed and sat down.

She dipped the cloth into the bowl of cool water once more before placing it carefully on his forehead.

His face remained pale.

She watched him quietly.

Then, almost in a whisper, she said,

"...I've never seen a fever like yours before."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the bowl.

Somewhere deep inside...

A strange feeling told her that this night was only the beginning.

The hours passed slowly.

Outside, the village had fallen completely silent.

Moonlight streamed through the clinic window, casting a pale glow across the wooden floor.

Lyra remained seated beside Kyle's bed.

From time to time, she replaced the damp cloth on his forehead.

His fever showed no sign of breaking.

She sighed quietly.

"...Why hasn't it gone down?"

Kyle shifted uneasily beneath the blanket.

His breathing became heavier.

A few moments later, his lips moved.

He was whispering something.

Lyra leaned closer, trying to hear.

"...No..."

His voice was weak.

"...Don't..."

His brow tightened as though he were trapped in a terrible dream.

Then another word escaped his lips.

A name.

Soft.

Broken.

Almost impossible to understand.

Lyra frowned.

"...What did you say?"

She listened carefully.

But the name came again, no clearer than before.

It was unlike any name she had ever heard in the Emerald Realm.

Before she could think any further...

Kyle suddenly reached out.

His trembling hand wrapped gently around hers.

Lyra froze.

She instinctively tried to pull away.

But his grip tightened ever so slightly.

As though he were afraid that someone would disappear if he let go.

Her heartbeat quickened.

She looked at his sleeping face.

"You don't even know you're doing this..."

She whispered with a faint smile.

For a long moment, she simply sat there without moving.

She could have pulled her hand free.

Yet...

She didn't.

Instead, she watched over him in silence.

The moon continued its slow journey across the night sky.

Inside the quiet clinic...

Neither of them noticed that the long night was far from over.

Far beyond the sleeping village...

The woodcutter stepped out of his small cabin, carrying a folded piece of parchment.

He looked toward the silent forest before giving a short whistle.

A gray carrier pigeon descended from the branches above and landed on his arm.

The man carefully unrolled the parchment.

With quick, practiced movements, he wrote only a few words.

No names.

No locations.

Only a brief report.

He rolled the message tightly and secured it to the pigeon's leg with a thin leather cord.

For a moment, he remained still.

His eyes drifted toward the distant mountains hidden beneath the moonlight.

"So..."

"They've finally begun to move."

He gently stroked the bird's feathers.

"Go."

The pigeon spread its wings and disappeared into the night sky.

The woodcutter watched until it became nothing more than a tiny shadow among the stars.

Then he pulled the hood of his cloak lower over his face.

"...I hope this reaches him before dawn."

Without another word, he turned back toward his cabin.

The forest swallowed him once again.

Far away...

The pigeon continued its silent flight through the darkness.

Carrying a message that would soon set unseen events into motion.

The clinic was silent once again.

Only the faint crackling of the fireplace broke the stillness.

Lyra remained beside Kyle, her hand still trapped in his unconscious grip.

His breathing had become steadier.

Yet his forehead remained unbearably hot.

She looked toward the closed door to make sure no one was there.

Then she slowly reached beneath her cloak.

A small emerald jewel rested in her palm.

Its soft green glow illuminated her fingers.

Lyra lowered her voice.

"I didn't want to use you..."

"But I have no choice."

She gently placed the jewel against the back of Kyle's hand.

A faint emerald light spread quietly between them.

It was no brighter than moonlight.

The warm glow slowly flowed into his body.

Almost immediately...

His tense expression began to soften.

The painful lines on his forehead gradually disappeared.

Lyra let out a quiet breath of relief.

"It's working..."

She quickly hid the jewel beneath her cloak again.

No trace of the green light remained.

Just then...

Kyle's fingers twitched.

His eyelids trembled slightly.

For a brief instant...

His eyes opened.

They were unfocused, clouded by exhaustion.

Yet they seemed to stop on Lyra's face.

She held her breath.

Neither of them moved.

A heartbeat later...

His eyes slowly closed once more.

His hand loosened, finally releasing hers.

Lyra stared at him in silence.

"...Did you really see me?"

Or...

"Was it only the fever?"

Outside, the moon shone quietly above the sleeping village.

Somewhere far away...

A lone carrier pigeon continued its journey through the night.