Ser Antonio's Hospital was a grand building in the centre of a large private park, a few kilometres away from the snaking River Thorn. It was a hospital that was most definitely not for the likes of Han, but it was the place where Doctor Raphael worked.

  And Han would not have been here if not for Aunty Henriette introducing him to the benevolent Doctor.

  But despite the Doctor's generosity, Han was still forced to pay amounts he barely had because the hospital's Executive Board was comprised of an austere bunch of old heads who all had 'Son' in their names, and so they didn't care much for philanthropy. But Doctor Raphael still managed to bump the price down for him with his leverage as a Priest-ranked Graced Healer and thus one of the best.

  'Doctor Baldi!' Eli exclaimed with excitement as they approached the entrance.

  'Yes, yes, you little gremlin, but let's not say that to his face this time, okay?'

  'But he is a Baldi!'

  They climbed a few flights of stairs until they reached the Graced Ward, then navigated a few elaborate hallways to where an expansive hall with a bunch of patients of high standing waited.

  'Eli?'

  A tall old man had just left his office with a beaming smile on his face. An old man who looked no older than thirty, and with a bald pate that, like a polished vase, reflected the light from elaborate chandeliers aloft. He wore a long white coat atop an elegant suit ornamented with gold buttons and small shiny accoutrements here and there.

  'Doctor Baldi!' Eli left Han's hand and darted to the doctor, who received her and chucked her in the air excitedly.

  'You cheeky little monkey! You keep getting heavier and heavier, don't you? What does that old hag keep feeding you, eh?'

  'I ate a princess cake!'

  'Of course you did! And you look like a princess too!'

  Two young nurses had already poured out of his office and were cuddling up to her with kisses and faces, fighting for her attention from the doctor.

  Reiss shook his head with a mischievous smile, and his hungry eyes locked on one of the nurses.

  'Bless your sister, Han.'

  'You're a depraved freak, Reiss,' Han sighed. 'Without those looks, you'd be serving in the Imperial dungeons some nasty time.'

  Reiss did not even hear him.

  'I'm sorry. I'll repay you, I promise.' And with that, Reiss left to join with admiring Eli's cuteness with much more care than usual while acting like a saint of an uncle to the nurses.

  Doctor Raphael had left Eli to the nurses and came up to him. 'Han. It's good to see you again. How are things?'

  'Fine. Aside from the Son Vilier's that is.'

  The Doctor pursed his lips sympathetically. 'I'm sorry, kid. I really am.'

  Han sighed it away and smiled. 'Well, that's that. Nothing to be done but what can be done, right?'

  The Doctor nodded, took a little moment to swallow the unfortunate circumstance, then clapped him on the shoulder. 'I pray for you, kid. Really are some rotten hearts in some men. I've seen far too many of them up here, far more than those who'd give a toddler free medicine.'

  'And I've seen worse, Doc.' Han muttered it very quietly, a dark memory glinting in his dead, dark eyes. Doctor Raphael was perhaps one of the very few who knew his secret origins, which even Reiss was unaware of, so he didn't comment.

  One can't cheat a Graced Doctor, it seemed.

  'But... for now, I'll take a look at little Eli and get her going right. Is your arrangement with the Wrightworths still on?'

  'Last I checked.'

  'Then I'll get Ophelia to arrange the papers... You're taking this better than I expected, kid, but I think I understand.'

  He certainly did. The Doctor had seen Han in true despair in the early days of the threat before he had the big relief of Eli's potential adoption. Once Han had a guarantee of his sister's safety, he suddenly found himself unable to complain as much as he should have in his place.

  ...

  The doctor had taken Eli into his office for a brief five minutes, then sent her back out so he could analyse her Aether and Blood with Doctor Ophelia.

  Han sat on the floor, back straight against the wall, facing the Doctor's office. His legs were open wide, creating a little space where Eli sat on her knees, applying humiliating makeup on his face.

  He had clown-red lipstick around his lips, eyeliner that went way beyond his eyes, and pink blush where blushing shouldn't happen.

  Han accepted the makeup with a faint smile and fluttered his eyes as if he were exactly what his sister wanted him to be.

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  'You'll be the prettiest princess in the world, Hani.' She had a very serious and focused look on her face as she dabbed the big brush on his face. 'Then Hani will wear a dress!'

  'I think Mr Policeman is going to take me in if I take my clothes off here, Eli.'

  'Then I'll fight Mr Policeman.'

  Even if the other patients were giggling in the background, he wouldn't have known. Only one patient, in a silver suit and silver earrings, smiled warmly at them and offered Eli a little wave which she gingerly returned.

  Standing a little distance away, Reiss had already entranced one of the nurses in his spell, leaning against the wall and deliberately showing the stark lines of his chiselled figure through his suit.

  He'd already touched on his family and wealth, but didn't dwell on that too much lest he irked her away. He flirted on with a slight smile, soft eyes, attentive listening and genuine questions.

  The Doctor had been in there a while, but that was the norm.

  Eventually, the door opened, and he stepped out with Doctor Ophelia at his side.

  Doctor Ophelia was a tall, intimidatingly beautiful woman of twenty-eight. But she was a placid woman. A cold, headstrong woman of total devotion to her craft. Her voice was a rare thing to hear, but her results were plenty around.

  The biggest testament to her abilities was her standing at Doctor Raphael's side. Many Graced Healers from all corners of the empire strove to have her spot, but, as Doctor Raphael said himself, she crushed them.

  He'd said that all those who'd applied to her current position were Acolytes and Deacons, so the competition should've been heated.

  But by the time Ophelia had applied, she had already become a Deacon after spending a few months on the casualty station on the Front Lines. A Deacon at only twenty-eight. A marvellous achievement, only common amongst the nobility.

  Han found her to be one of the few admirable acquaintances he'd made during his time in the Empire.

  Doctor Raphael called them over. 'Gentlemen. Princess. Please come on over... Seeing his makeup, he reeled back. 'Goodness kid, what'd she do to you?'

  Han shrugged.

  'Made me the cutest Princess in the world.'

  Ophelia suppressed a chuckle and went to pick up Eli with that same placid look.

  'You're good enough to get a laugh out of a dead man,' snickered Reiss.

  'Same dosage, doc?' Asked Han.

  Doctor Raphael pressed his lips together and shook his head.

  'I'm afraid not, Han. She will be getting 8 injections a week from now on.'

  Han's nails dug into his palms, and they dug hard. Outwardly, however, he remained impassive. Well, not quite, considering the clown makeup.

  'But-' Continued the Doctor almost immediately. 'There is some reassurance. 6 months ago, we predicted that she would be taking 10 a week by now. I'm a little relieved that she is doing a little better than expected.'

  Han's nails went easy on his palm, and he squeezed his hands together behind his back in what could only be gratitude.

  He gulped a little relief and bowed a little.

  Good news...

  Good news, every once in a while, did do a lot.

  'Thank you, doc. Thank you.'

  Reiss gave him a soft pat on the back. 'Finally, a little good going for you, eh?'

  'What does it mean?' Eli asked while playing with Doctor Ophelia's short brown hair.

  Doctor Ophelia, in her turn, explained it to her softly and simply, and Han could see Eli start to smile a little. A smile that shouldn't be seen on children. A smile of little fear fading away.

  'Now Gentlemen.' The Doctor handed his tablet to the nurse and assumed a serious pose, hands folded and everything. 'Some serious news regarding myself. By next week at the latest, I will be leaving Cordobath City to the South. Unfortunately, I have been called back to the front lines, so you won't be seeing me in a few months.'

  Before Han's eyes could comprehend the horrible news with wide, startled eyes, the Doctor raised his hand. 'But, you do not have to worry about your special arrangement with us since I have had Doctor Ophelia promoted, and she will tend to your case from now on just as well as I have. You two know her to be good, so I assume you have no doubts.'

  Ophelia nodded at her end in affirmation.

  Han offered her a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

  'Congratulations.'

  She nodded at him again.

  Doctor Raphael turned to Reiss. 'Since Eli has... a potential future with your family, tend to her well, Young Lord, ya hear?'

  Reiss nodded solemnly. 'Of course, Doctor.'

  'And keep taking care of Han as you always have been, as much as you can. Even with the... future restrictions. This kid's luck is the worst I've ever seen, so please.'

  'You don't have to say it, Doc.'

  Then to Han. 'That'll be it for me.' His eyes softened, and his lips pursed. 'Good luck Han.'

  ...

  Sitting at the far end of the hall, a distance from where Doctor Raphael and his patients were standing, was a man with neglected, grizzled stubble, dark circles under manic, bloodshot eyes, and an unhealthy, sallow complexion. He had a rugged black coat over a wrinkled striped shirt, and greasy hair that hung to his eyes.

  The man stared at his hands as he squeezed and opened them again and again. He muttered to himself words faster than he thought them, like a madman, and sweated profusely on the floor.

  The chairs surrounding him were vacant. Eyes peered at him with disgust. The whispers and titters neglected the patients around Doctor Raphael and focused solely on him.

  But this man did not care.

  He wasn't even aware of their existence.

  He had seen and experienced things far beyond this world.

  He had thoughts and memories in his head that would drive any man mad.

  And so, the only thing that occupied this frenetic mind of his was what he was about to do.

  The mad man was about to kill the most terrifying being he'd ever known to exist before it was too late.

  He was about to try to kill the Absolved.

  And he could almost die from the fear of doing it.