Chapter 4 Waking Up

Evan was in a mysterious white space. An old stranger just handed Evan his legacy in full. The information crashed into Evan's mind like the waves of the sea. Eventually, the waves condensed into three simple words. They read, 'Ninefold Arcane Arts.'

The Ninefold Arcane Arts had everything from geomancy and martial arts to medicine, formations, and mystic arts. He tried to use it a little, and energy was starting to fill his battered body.

"It's actually working!" He was delighted. A sliver of energy popped up in his elixir field, and it was like a dragon flying in the skies. Even his senses were sharpened.

It was that pendant.

The pendant Hazel gave away, like it meant nothing, gave him the biggest opportunity he'd ever seen in his life.

He thought, 'Fate wants me to survive!'

…

A long, long time later, he opened his eyes, and the first thing to meet them was an unbelievably gorgeous woman staring right at him.

Evan sat up faster than he'd ever moved in his life. "Where am I?"

"Hey, stranger. It's the hospital. I was speeding and crashed into you. I'm really sorry for that," Sylvie apologized, her eyes still on Evan.

Then memories flowed back into Evan's head. After his last sliver of faith in the heiresses died, he made his hundredth donation. Then, a car crashed into him.

"But you sure are lucky," said Sylvie. Her eyes were shimmering. "The car was moving at 180 mph, and you got away with nothing but scrapes. If I didn't know better, I'd think my mind was playing tricks on me."

It was then that Evan realized his forehead was scraped. He rubbed it. Quietly, he thought, 'Yeah, I sure am lucky. I got a legacy, though it's a blessing in disguise.'

Agony stabbed him like a knife, and Evan gasped. The excessive blood extraction's effects still hadn't worn off. He was still weakened.

Concerned, Sylvie asked, "What's wrong? Should I call a doctor?"

"I'm fine," said Evan through his pain. Though he had gotten the old man's legacy, he was still sapped. He had to be careful until he'd gotten a full recovery.

"Where are your parents? Your partner? You're severely anemic, and they let you walk around alone? That was dangerous!" If he hadn't been absurdly lucky, he'd be dead by now.

Evan fell into deep silence. His partner? She was probably with another man. So, he answered, "I do not have a family. Nor do I have any partner."

Stunned, Sylvie had no idea what to say to that.

"Ms. Stanton," one of the bodyguards whispered into her ear.

That changed the look on her face, and sorrow draped itself around her. Still, she tried to hide it and wiped the tears off her face. She said, "I must go now, sir. Urgent business. Just focus on recovery. I'll cover the bills. Oh, right. My name's Sylvie Stanton."

Evan committed that name to memory, but right before she left, he noticed something, and his face fell. "A moment, Ms. Stanton."

Sylvie turned, wondering what he wanted to do.

A moment of hesitation later, he said sheepishly, "I'm really sorry about this, but can I see your hand?"

That was shocking. Everyone froze up. Sylvie stepped back. "Why?"

The bodyguards were looking at Evan now, guarded and alarmed. “He’s lusting for you, Ms. Stanton!”

"I…" Evan wanted to explain himself, but he held his tongue.

Sylvie stared back into his eyes. She blurted, "You noticed, didn't you?" She saw his gaze. There was no lust. Instead, there was only surprise and solemnity.

Sylvie was sharper than Evan thought. He mulled over it for a moment and nodded.

She extended her hand graciously. "Here."

The bodyguards could not believe Sylvie was doing it. "But Ms. Stanton!"

Sylvie added with a hint of gravity, "But if you hold it, you'll have to tell me what you figured out, or I'll be really mad."

Evan looked at her hand. He clenched his teeth and nodded. "If I get anything wrong, you can do anything you want to me." Then, he held her hand, but the moment their skin touched,

He gasped.

It was like holding a block of ice, but the chill shot straight into the heart and pierced the soul instead of his hand. It was getting thrown into a freezing lake, and the frigidity swept through his body.

His senses were right. Frost poison had seeped through her body. Her heart and lungs were failing. However, Sylvie could not sense that cold herself.

The legacy sharpened his senses, so he heard the whole conversation, including Sylvie talking about surviving the year. This was confirmation, and it was worse than he thought. Forget the year.

She only had six months left, just like Zeke.

Evan was still holding her hand, and Sylvie's face fell. "How much longer are you going to hold my hand?"

That snapped Evan out of it. He let go of Sylvie's hand apologetically. "Sorry. Just caught in my thoughts."

"Caught in your thoughts? You just wanted to touch Ms. Stanton!"

The bodyguards were about to launch themselves, but Sylvie stopped them. She was looking at Evan, waiting for him to speak. "Now, can you tell me what you saw?"

The bodyguards threatened, "We'll cut off your hands if you come up with nonsense!"

"Your days are numbered, Ms. Stanton," replied Evan. That shocked everyone, and the air itself froze. The bodyguards stared at him like he just grew two more arms.

"Ms. Stanton, how…" They wanted to talk, but they stopped themselves.

Sylvie was surprised as well. She wondered, 'All he did was hold my hand, and he knew I was dying? But this doesn't prove anything.'

"Anything else?" she asked.

Evan answered, "Your body's infected with frost poison. Your organs are shutting down, and you only have six months left on the clock."

Sylvie and her bodyguards were thunderstruck. The bodyguards held their breath without thinking.

Evan got it all right. It was easy to see that Sylvie's days were numbered, but coming up with the exact details meant he had skills.

"Can you heal me?" Sylvie asked. Before Evan could answer, she continued, "You stopped me and checked my condition. You must have a way out for me."

She remembered what her grandfather told her—that her turning point lay within the city of Silverton, when she had a single year left on the clock.

She and her grandfather showed up, but her grandfather got into an accident and fell into a coma. She, on the other hand, crashed into Evan. She was already giving in to despair, but then Evan could possibly be the turning point she was looking for.

"I…" Evan looked troubled. Sylvie was half-correct. He did have a cure for her, but he wasn’t used to the newly-gotten legacy yet.

Besides, he was debilitated himself. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off.

Sylvie promised, "If you get me through the year, I can give you anything you want. Money, power, status, anything you ask."

"That's not it. I don't need those," Evan declined.

She was not discouraged. Then, she realized something, and her face turned pink. Boldly, she said, "You have no partner, have you? Well, if you save me, I'll marry you!"

The bodyguards nearly screamed. They just heard something impossible. She was offering herself in exchange for the guy saving her. Their circle would be in an uproar if they found out.

But they could understand why she was going the extra mile. Anyone else would've done the same if the very hope of survival was dangling in their faces.

Happiness and marriage were nothing compared to that.

Evan was shocked and quickly explained, "I would love to save you, Ms. Stanton, but I'm not sure if I can. This would be my first time healing someone. What if I mess up? What if I fail?"

"And I would not get mad at you." Sylvie was getting excited. "I'm dying anyway. Silverton was my last shot, and you gave me that shot, sir. I should be thanking you instead."

Evan stared at Sylvie's reddened eyes. Eventually, he agreed to help her out. He didn't want a lady to die just when life was blooming for her. "Fine, but my services don't come cheap. It'll cost you 150 million."

"150 million?" That stunned Sylvie.

"Yes. I need the money. It's for something important."

Sylvie looked into his eyes, and she saw a lot swimming within. Indifference, determination, agony, and unspeakable sorrow. No person should juggle so much at the same time.

"If it doesn't bother you, what will you do with the money?" she asked.

She thought he would refuse to answer, but instead Evan answered, "I'm cutting ties with my family."