Chapter 7. Doctor, Surgeon, Undertaker

Marcus 4
My heart pounds in my chest as I carry Tyx through the castle gates, which lay in ruins after the massive lightning bolt. I barely register the destruction around me; all that matters is getting help for Tyx. Her breath is shallow, her face deathly pale, and I know every second counts.

"Medicae! Help us!" I scream, my voice cracking with fear and desperation. Servants and guards rush towards us, and I feel a mixture of relief and urgency as tyx is taken from my arms and carried off to the Medicae's office. I am spent, but I know I cannot afford to collapse. I need to be there for Tyx, to make sure she will be okay.

A guard takes me by the shoulder and leads me to the Medicae's office. I stumble along, my legs weak and my thoughts a chaotic whirlwind of worry and guilt. I should have been more careful. I should have protected her.

This is all my fault.

As I enter the office, I see tyx, splayed out on the table, her face now flush with a sickly green color, and her breath now raggedly deep. The Medicae, a skilled and wise man with a peppered salt beard, works tirelessly over her to counteract the venom coursing through her veins. He orders his apprentices to fetch various antidotes and herbs, his eyes never leaving the **** girl.

I pace the room; my heart aches with worry and guilt. I want to help, to do something, anything to save my sister. All I can do is stand and watch as he tries one antidote after the next, not a single one seeming to work at all on the relentless venom.

Time seems to stretch on endlessly as I wait, my hands clench into fists and my eyes never leaving Tyx's fragile form. Every time the Medicae administers another antidote, my heart rises into my throat, my body filling with hope only to be dashed as her condition remains unchanged.

Hours pass, and I feel the weight of the despair weighing me down. Would we be too late? Had I failed Tyx, just as I had failed everyone so many times before? The thoughts echo in my mind, a constant reminder of my inadequacy.

But then, something changes. The Medicae administers a concoction that seems to halt the venom's progress. Tyx's breathing slowly steadies, and the green tint in her veins begins to fade. Relief floods through me, my knees buckling under the sudden release of tension.

As she stablizes, I sink into a chair nearby, my body wracked with sobs of relief and exhaustion. The weight of the ordeal finally catching up to me, and I finally allow myself a moment of vulnerability. I need someone, anyone. I wish someone would tell me it would be okay, that I didn’t fail, that it's not my fault, something, anything reassuring, but the Medicae is focussed on Tyx's recovery.

Looking at Tyx, her face still pale but her breathing steady, something inside me clicks into place. I will do anything, everything in my power to protecct her, and everyone else I care about, from any harm that might come their way. I will never let my guard down ever again. I will become stronger, for Tyx, for everyone, and for myself.