Chapter Nineteen
The atmosphere in the ward was divided. On one side stood Catherine and her family, their hope resting entirely on Adrian. On the other side, Dr. Blaine Corvus and his disciples loomed, their pride bruised but their tongues sharp with scorn.
“Young man,” Dr. Corvus sneered, folding his arms. “You truly expect us to believe that crushing bugs into powder is medicine? That such superstition could rival modern science?”
One of his disciples, a tall youth with mocking eyes, laughed outright. “Master, don’t waste your breath on him. He wants to use worms to cure illness? Ha! If he actually makes one crawl out of the old man, I’ll eat it on the spot.”
Snickers rippled among the other students. Their arrogance clashed harshly against the family’s desperation.
Catherine’s hands balled into fists, her eyes flashing. “Mock him all you want, but you couldn’t save my grandfather. Adrian already has!”
Her words silenced them for a moment, but Dr. Corvus quickly recovered, lips curling into a cold smile. “Once may be luck. But luck cannot be repeated. When this farce fails, you will finally see reason.”
Adrian, calm as ever, ignored their taunts. He had already prepared the silver needles again, his fingers steady as he arranged them with deliberate precision. His voice was cool, almost detached.
“You said you would eat it if something emerged from his body,” Adrian said, not looking up. “I hope your stomach is strong enough to keep your word.”
The disciple’s grin faltered, but he forced a scoff. “Do your tricks then. Let’s see.”
The family gathered closer as Adrian placed the first needle. His movements were slower this time, more deliberate, every insertion guided by an ancient rhythm few in the world could recognize. With each needle, the energy in the room seemed to shift, thickening, pressing down on every chest like unseen weight.
Catherine felt her breath catch. Even the skeptical doctors exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, Adrian reached for the last needle. His eyes narrowed, his voice low. “Now.”
The needle sank into a hidden meridian point just below the old man’s ribcage.
At once, Mr. Morritis’s body trembled violently. His chest heaved, his skin rippled unnaturally, and a dark bulge began to crawl beneath his flesh, moving upward. Gasps filled the room as the lump traveled toward his throat.
Catherine screamed. Her mother covered her mouth with both hands.
With a guttural cough, the old man lurched forward–something wet and black shot from his lips and splattered onto the floor.
It writhed.
The nurses shrieked and stumbled back, their faces pale. Crawling across the tiles was a bloated, jet–black insect, its carapace slick with foul mucus, its legs twitching in frantic spasms as if unwilling to be exposed to the light.
The room erupted in chaos.
“That-! That’s impossible!” one physician shouted, his glasses slipping down his nose as he staggered back. Dr. Corvus himself recoiled, his composure breaking. “A trick! It must be a trick!”
But no one could deny the stench in the air, the sickening sound of its twitching legs, the sheer reality of the thing
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crawling before them.
Catherine’s cousin Marco, pale as chalk, muttered hoarsely “He… he really drew it out…”
The disciple who had mocked Adrian earlier stood frozen, las eyes bulging. Adrian turned his gaze on him at last, sharp as a blade.
“Well?” Adrian asked softly. “Weren’t you going to eat it?”
The disciple’s knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed, shaking his head violently as the ward filled with horrified
stares.
Catherine, trembling but overcome with awe, whispered through her tears, “Adrian…you saved his life.”
Adrian withdrew the last of the needles, his expression unreadable. “This is only the beginning. The poison that bred such a creature is not yet gone. Until the root is destroyed, others may appear.”
Silence gripped the room. Everyone’s eyes shifted toward Adrian–not with mockery now, but with fear and
reverence.
Even Dr. Corvus, his pride wounded beyond repair, had no words.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
