Chapter 26 - Liability

At the same time, in the infirmary.

_ Villager: “ Thank you so much, Ay. I don't know what we would do without you. ”

With a thoughtful gesture, she helps her elderly patient out of bed and hands him his cane.

_ Ay: “ It's normal, I'm just doing my job,” she said, accompanying the patient to the exit.

She closed the door gently.

_ Ay: “ So what do you think… ”

Then she turned her head.

_ Ay: “ About my job, sweetie? ”

Her dazzling eyes light up.

_ Jenna: “ Medicine is truly... incredible. ”

Ay closes the distance between them, showing no apparent emotion.

_ Ay: “ And still, compared to the virus I caught in previous weeks, it's a piece of cake. ”

She stands motionless, her chin resting on the windowsill.

_ Jenna: “ Still, no matter what the injury or illness, knowing that it can be treated is a real relief for the victim. ” she said cheerfully.

_ Ay: “ Exactly, and that's the beauty of this activity. ”

_ Jenna: " By the way, how can you be a doctor when you're a Recluse at base? "

Ay turns her head in his direction.

_ Ay: “ I learned it from my parents. ”

With her lips pressed tightly together, Jenna doesn't say a word. However, her eyes betray her desire to know more. Ay smiles slightly, leaves the window sill, and sits down on a chair.

_ Ay: “ Sit down next to me, I'll tell you about my past. ”

Jenna sits down, leaning forward slightly, listening intently.

_ Ay: “ My parents were honest and respectable Recluses. We survived on the natural resources provided by the Forest. Resources were scarce due to the number of Recluses in the Forest. It was common not to eat every day, but if food was managed carefully, survival was possible. ”

_ Jenna: “ But... How did you manage with water? ”

_ Ay: “ My parents also controlled the water source. So we had no worries about hydration or even washing. ”

_ Jenna: “ Okay. ”

_ Ay: “ Long before I was born, they devoted themselves to medicinal practices. They wanted to be self-sufficient in case of physical problems. I don't know how they acquired their knowledge, but they were truly resourceful. ”

From her chair, she looks out the window.

_ Ay: “ Several years after I was born, they had reached a certain level and were really enjoying medicine. As for me, I was having a blast with my Source. Just forming water through the palm of my hand was enough to make me happy and keep me busy all day long. ”

Jenna's pupils dilate.

_ Ay: “ When we happened to come across other wounded Recluses, they didn't hesitate for a second to help them. The more interventions we saw, the more my curiosity about medicine was stimulated. ”

Ay stares at the ceiling, his mind blank.

_ Ay: “ When I reached adolescence, I was juggling learning about my Source and medicinal practices. My level was still ridiculous, but I was starting to get the basics down. And honestly, none of that mattered to me because I was in my comfort zone with my family. ”

She narrows her eyes slightly.

_ Ay: “ But that comfort zone was shattered last night. ”

Jenna's skin tightened, as if a wave of coldness had washed over her. Ay continued in a calm tone.

_ Ay: “ A cry of pain interrupted my sleep. When I came out of my tent, my parents were lying on the ground, covered in blood. The two murderers stood right in front of their bodies, their swords dripping with blood, smiling maliciously. ”

With a knot in her stomach, Jenna wonders.

_ Jenna: “ Why... Why did they do that? ”

_ Ay: “ Dishonest people don't need a particular motive to murder others. ”

_ Jenna: “ That's horrible… ”

A fleeting silence hangs heavy in the infirmary, but is quickly broken by a serious tone of voice.

_ Ay: “ So I killed them. ”

Eyes widen. Ay fixes his gaze on Jenna.

_ Ay: " For the first time, hatred overwhelmed me. I had only one desire: to eliminate them. Once I had achieved my revenge, I decided to devote myself more seriously to medicine and to my Source. I had to be more versatile and mentally strong in order to survive. So I started looting left and right without any remorse. Until the day I stumbled upon my new family. "

She looks away again, toward the ceiling, a slight smile on her lips.

_ Ay: “ A tribe of about ten people was camping there. An elder was wounded. At first, they were frightened by my presence. After all, seeing a young girl alone, covered in blood, with empty eyes wandering through the forest is never reassuring. ”

The smile fades.

_ Ay: " I made them understand that I could cure him. They trusted me and saw the results. I was about to leave when their elder took me by the arm. They all wanted me to stay with their tribe. At that moment, my empty eyes filled with hope and affection. I then vowed to protect them with my life. "

She stares at Jenna.

_ Ay: “ You know what happens next. ”

Then her mouth opens slightly, her eyebrows raised, seeing Jenna with her two fists pressed against her thighs.

_ Jenna: “ Your story is both touching and inspiring. You never gave up. ”

She jumps up from her chair, her fist clenched in anger on one side, her hand resting on her chest on the other, and stares at Ay with conviction.

_ Jenna: “ Teach... Teacher Ay! ”

_ Ay: “ Teacher? ”

_ Jenna: “ Please let me be your student! ”

The words gradually fade away, giving way to a growing silence. Then, a very brief laugh, muffled in Ay's hand, bursts forth.

_ Jenna: “ I... I'm serious! ” she said, losing all her confidence.

_ Ay: “ Sorry, it's just that, for a girl who's shy by nature, I think you're really cool. ”

She gets up from her chair, looking more serious.

_ Ay: “ Very well, I accept your proposal. But be warned, I won't go easy on you. ”

Jenna's eyes sparkle with childlike joy.

_ Jenna: “ Okay! ”

A scroll is pulled from the pocket, then thrown in her direction by surprise.

_ Jenna: “ What... What is it? ”

_ Ay: “ I've mapped the Middle Zone and the South Zone on this parchment. I'll lend it to you if you want to find out more. Give it back to me when you're done. ”

_ Jenna: “ Okay. ”

Leaving the infirmary, she wanders around the center of the village, map in hand.

_ Jenna: “ I see, she's divided the map into three zones. The middle zone is detailed, our zone a little less so. And the northern zone not at all. ”

After inspecting the map, a red circle in the middle zone catches her eye.

_ Jenna: “ Home? It's Mistress Ay's old camp. ”

_ Son: “ Jenna! ”

In the middle of the crowd, a voice seems to pierce through her. She turns around and sees Son and Ayden approaching.

_ Son: “ Yo Jenna, what's up? ”

_ Jenna: “ Hi guys, uh, I just came from the infirmary, I was talking to Ms. Ay. ”

_ Son: “ Ms. Ay? ” he said, quite surprised.

A crumpled piece of paper in Jenna's hand appears in my field of vision.

_ Ayden: “ From behind, you seemed to be reading something. ”

_ Jenna: “ Yes! It's a map of the Forest that she gave me. ”

A few seconds pass. Then I look her straight in the eye.

_ Ayden: “ An operation is about to be launched. Do you want to know the mysteries surrounding our village? ”