Chapter 344 Amazing Things Do Not Come Cheap

Nick blinked, his small face still showing confusion. He slowly pulled away, glancing up at her as he tried to make sense of what she meant.

“Big sis... what do you mean?” he asked in a small, almost shy voice.

Suzuka chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his hair again.

"I’ve got a magic trick up my sleeve, that's what I mean. Wanna see?"

Nick’s eyes brightened a little at the mention of magic, though he still seemed unsure. Suzuka quickly showed him both of her hands, palms open and empty. She wiggled her fingers dramatically, building up the suspense like a performer at a show.

"See? Nothing in my hands, right?"

Then, with a smooth motion, she hovered one hand over her hip, where her dragon scale sat hidden, her magical item storage. With a swift flick of her wrist, she 'pulled' a crystal out from thin air, opening her hand in front of Nick with a flourish.

"Ta-da! A pretty crystal just for you!" she declared holding the shimmering gem out to him.

Nick’s eyes widened in awe as he marveled at the glowing crystal. His hesitation melted away as he gingerly reached out, his fingers trembling slightly as he took it from her hand. The crystal was beautiful, its surface catching the light in mesmerizing ways.

"But wait," Suzuka added with a wink.

"It’s not just pretty. There's more to it. Try infusing some of your mana into it. There's another magic trick waiting for you. You gonna like it."

Nick looked up at her, his excitement bubbling just beneath the surface. He clutched the crystal carefully as if it were the most precious thing he’d ever held. After a moment’s pause, he nodded. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing hard as he tried to channel a bit of his mana into the crystal.

The moment his mana touched the stone, it pulsed with light. A soft glow spread through it, and as Nick opened his eyes, the crystal lit up with swirling patterns inside. His eyes went wide, his mouth falling open in pure amazement.

"I-It worked!" he gasped, staring at the glowing gem in his hand.

"It’s glowing!"

"Told you, didn’t I? Pretty cool, huh? But that's not all, there is more!"

Nick's face lit up in wonder, all traces of the earlier sadness forgotten in that moment. 

 Suddenly, to his shock and surprise, a brilliant light enveloped his entire body, mirroring the glow of the crystal. The warmth was unlike anything he had ever felt - a comforting embrace that seemed to lift him off the ground. He gasped, eyes wide, as he felt a tingle in every fiber of his being.

But that dazzling light was soon overshadowed by an even more astonishing sight. His mutilated palm began to transform right before his eyes. The horrific scars that had marred his hand, where his fingers had been brutally ripped away, began to knit together. Flesh pulsed and morphed, fingers reappearing as if they had never been lost in the first place.

Nick could hardly believe it. His sickly pallor started to brighten, his complexion shifting from ghostly white to a warm shade of life, and the exhaustion that had weighed down his body began to lift. Every bit of pain, every ounce of sorrow faded as he felt strength flooding back into his limbs.

As the glow from the crystal began to fade, it disintegrated into tiny sparkling particles that slipped through Nick's newly formed fingers, raining down like glittering dust. But he barely noticed the crystal crumble; his focus was solely on his miraculous hand, now perfect and whole.

Nick stumbled back, his heart racing with excitement and disbelief, and fell onto his butt, still staring in astonishment at his healed hands. 

“I can’t believe it! I… I can’t believe my eyes! I-I... my hand... it’s back... I... I don’t understand… How did... what just happened?” he gasped, tears of joy welling up once more, but this time they were tears of relief and happiness.

Suzuka, watching Nick's awe-struck expression, couldn’t help but laugh with joy. 

“Hey, hey, are you alright? Hey, hey, easy there. Take a deep breath.” she gently shook him out of his stupor, her voice full of concern and excitement. 

“Did it scare you? Or was it painful?”

Nick shook his head vigorously, grinning from ear to ear, his newly formed fingers flexing in front of him as if he were learning to use them for the first time. 

“No! No! It didn’t hurt at all! It was… it was amazing!” His voice cracked with emotion, his eyes shimmering with the magic of disbelief. 

“I’m really whole again! I can’t believe it!”

He held his hands up to Suzuka, wiggling his fingers in pure joy.

 “Look! Look at them! They’re back!” His laughter rang through the air, bright and full of life, shattering the shadows that had loomed over him for so long.

Suzuka wrapped her arms around him again, lifting him off the ground as she spun him in a joyful embrace. 

“See? I told you magic was incredible! Told you I would make it right. Your big sis Suzu always keeps her promises!”

As she set him down, she playfully added, “But you’d better be careful! With great fingers comes great responsibility!”

Nick laughed harder, the joy spilling out of him like a bubbling fountain.

 “I will, big sis! I promise! I’m going to be the best!”

Nick’s eyes welled up with tears again. He couldn’t hold them back as he threw his arms around Suzuka, burying his face into her big, soft, comforting cleavage with a sob making himself more comfortable in there than he should have.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice cracking.

 "Thank you so much, big sis... I can’t believe it... I really can’t believe it."

Suzuka hugged him tightly, rubbing his back in comforting circles as he let the weight of the moment wash over him.

 "You’re welcome, Nick. I'm happy I was able to help," she whispered back. 

"I-I thought I’d never be able to hold things again... or... or help out on the vineyard," he admitted shyly.

 "But now... I feel like I can do anything."

For a few moments, Suzuka could feel Nick’s heartbeat slowly calm against her chest, his sobs turning into soft, relieved sniffles.

Suzuka grinned and ruffled his hair.

 "That’s the spirit! But hey, aren't you getting a bit comfortable with your face buried in my breasts? How about we go inside and show the others your new trick, huh? Before I started calling you pervert Nick, hmmm? But hey, you're 15 now, right? Can't blame you for being a bit adventurous."

Nick’s smile widened, the sparkle of joy returning to his eyes.

 "I'm sorry, Suzuka. I didn't mean to offend you. Umm... ah... Yeah, we should go inside! Anna and Big Bro gonna freak out when they see this!"

"That's the spirit! Now you look and sound more like the little Nick I knew." Suzuka chuckled, helping him to his feet.

 "And speaking of Anna... I got her something too. Let’s go make her day, shall we?" She winked and gestured to the silver ring she had picked up from the market.

But it didn’t take long for the joyous atmosphere to shift as they stepped over the threshold into the house. Just as they stepped in, Anna and Antonio appeared from down the hallway, curious expressions on their faces.

“Hey, what’s up! What’s with all the ruckus at the door?” Antonio called out. But before he could hear an answer, his eyes landed on Suzuka and Nick standing together.

 “Oh... Suzuka, you came as promised. Welcome. Come in.”

Anna, who was still shaken up, stood behind Antonio, clinging to his arm like a lifeline. But the moment she caught sight of Suzuka, her demeanor changed. With a burst of energy that seemed to defy her earlier hesitation, she dashed forward and tackled Suzuka in an enthusiastic hug. 

“Oh Suzuka! I missed you so much! Thank you again for saving me! Thank you for all you did for me!”

Suzuka laughed, embracing her warmly.

 “You don’t have to thank me, Anna! I couldn’t let anything happen to you! You’re like family to me! I missed you too, Anna! It’s so good to see you again! Here, I got a small present for you.”

She took Anna's hand and put a ring on her finger.

"Just a small gift, I thought it would be a good match with your beautiful eyes."

"Thank you, Suzuka. It's beautiful, I will cherish it."

But their happy reunion was abruptly interrupted by Nick, who was practically vibrating with excitement. He jumped up and down, waving his hands in the air like a windmill caught in a storm.

 “Look! Look! Look what big sis Suzuka did for me! I have my fingers back! She healed me! She is amazing! And she even gave me this cool pendant!”

Antonio’s eyes widened in shock as he turned to see Nick’s hands, fully recovered. His jaw dropped, and for a brief moment, he was speechless, trying to process the sight before him.

 “Nicky, you have fingers?” he asked incredulously, his brow furrowing with a mix of amazement and concern. 

“Your hand... they’re healed!”

Anna’s face lit up with joy, her hands covering her mouth as she gasped in astonishment.

 “Oh my gosh, it’s like a miracle! No way! That’s incredible! Nick, your hands! You’re all better!” 

She rushed to Nick’s side, her eyes sparkling like stars.

 “You look just like you did before! It’s like a fairy tale!”

But as Antonio’s surprise settled, a shadow of worry crossed his face. He knelt to Nick’s level, his voice dropping to a serious tone. 

“But… how did this happen?” 

He knew that what she did was something amazing but he also knew that amazing things do not come cheap.

He bounced on his heels, the excitement bubbling out of him. 

“Big sis Suzuka showed me magic! She is awesome! She’s the best! She gave me a pretty crystal and when it shattered I had my fingers back! it was amazing, big bro!”