The Sting of Fate
When Yara saw Soren climbing the cliff inside the Crystal Lotus Mirror, her face drained of color.
Fragments of memory surfaced—she remembered being hurt that day—but everything that followed was a blur, a shadow she could not recall.
…
At first, Soren had just begun his careful ascent. Yara had waited obediently at the cliff's base, her small hands clutching the edges of her dress, eyes wide with curiosity. But as time stretched, impatience bubbled within her. She was still a child of only a few years, never venturing into the mountains before, and the waiting felt endless.
Seeing that Soren had not yet returned, she brightened slightly and began plucking small flowers nearby, humming softly to herself.
Unknowingly, she had wandered into the tall, wild grass.
Within the green, a Bright String Scorpio slithered silently toward her, its movements deceptively slow.
When it was barely ten feet away, the creature struck like a bolt of lightning, its sting aimed directly at her.
Startled, Yara recoiled, a shriek tearing from her throat, and tumbled backward onto the rough earth.
Hearing the cry, Soren, still half a cliff above, whipped his head toward the sound.
"My little sister!"
His handsome face tightened with dread. Spotting the Bright String Scorpio sinking its sting into Yara's hand, Soren's expression darkened instantly. Without a second thought, he leapt from the cliff.
Even for a grown man, the fall was perilous; yet Soren moved like a shadow, his body light, agile, fearless. He landed with a controlled roll, sprang to his feet, and sprinted toward Yara.
The Bright String Scorpio, attempting to flee after striking, met Soren's wrath. His foot pinned it to the ground. Grabbing a jagged stone, he smashed the creature's head again and again until it was no more.
Finally, he scooped Yara into his arms, heart hammering as he called out in frantic desperation, "Little sister…"
Her left hand had already begun to blacken, swelling rapidly from the venom, and she had lost consciousness.
Ignoring everything else, Soren ran, every stride pounding against the unforgiving earth, toward the distant pharmacy where he had sold herbs.
At the sight of Doctor Henry through the doorway, Soren felt a fragment of hope and shouted, "Doctor Henry! Please… help!"
A middle-aged man emerged, alarmed at the sight. "Soren! What happened?"
Soren panted violently, words failing him. He pressed Yara toward the doctor, voice choking out, "Quic…kly, q…uickly, loo…k at… my Li…ttle sister."
Doctor Henry quickly examined Yara's hand, his face tightening with concern.
"It's a Bright String Scorpio," he muttered gravely. "You actually encountered this venomous creature." He hastily took a thin rope and bound her wrist to slow the spread of the poison.
Soren's blue eyes burned with worry. "Doctor Henry… pllll…ease… save my sister…"
"Yes," Doctor Henry nodded, steady and certain. Relief brushed Soren's chest, loosening the crushing tension he had been carrying.
But the next words froze him entirely, his heart plummeting to the abyss.
"The poison is extremely potent," Doctor Henry said solemnly. "Luckily, you arrived in time. But… if I don't cut off her hand and administer the antidotes immediately, she may not survive."
…
"What?!"
Outside the Crystal Lotus Mirror, whispers rippled. Even Fin Ravyn, the male protagonist, instinctively glanced at Yara's delicate, unbroken hands.
Yara herself frowned, confusion and fear mingling within her; she had no memory of losing a hand.
…
Inside the Crystal Lotus Mirror, Soren's face contorted in horror. "No… my sister… she's only five years old! If she loses her hand, how can she live… Doctor Henry… cut my hand instead! Please!"
He was still a child, yet faced with such unbearable choices, he offered his own hand without hesitation.
Doctor Henry's eyes were heavy with regret. "Soren… you must decide quickly. If you hesitate longer, even severing her hand may not save her life."
"No…"
Soren collapsed to the ground, mouth mumbling unconsciously, "I don't… I don't want her hand cut off… nor let her die…"
Even to an onlooker, the sight was gut-wrenching—a ten-year-old child carrying the weight of impossible decisions. Doctor Henry's eyes glistened, and even those outside the Crystal Lotus Mirror felt their hearts twist.
Soren seemed to embody the peril himself, as if the child were the one fated to die. Seeing him like this, Doctor Henry gritted his teeth and said, voice firm yet gentle, "There is… another way to save your sister without cutting off her hand."