BXBX NOVEL Chapter 22 Guilt
Chapter 22 Guilt
Several seconds ago, Julia's world was turned upside down by a piercing scream. Lysandra's cry for help cut through the air like a blade, immediately jolting her to action. Panic and concern surged within her as she bolted toward Lysandra, her usually concealed speed rendered insignificant by the urgency of the situation.
In her relentless rush to Lysandra's side, Julia paid no heed to her usual grace and discretion. She disregarded El, who had entered the room with her, his presence fading into the background as she focused all her attention on the young girl writhing in pain.
Breathless and anxious, Julia's maternal instincts took over. She activated her mana and extended her senses to scan Lysandra's body, mirroring the process she had employed when her beloved son, Elian, suffered a devastating accident.
In less than a second, Julia's mana enveloped Lysandra's entire body, conducting an exhaustive scan from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. To her trained senses, the result appeared frustratingly unremarkable. No glaring issues or abnormalities manifested in the scan. She repeated the process several times to ensure accuracy, yet the unanimous verdict remained consistent-there was no evident problem.
Despite Lysandra's relentless convulsions and the profuse sweat that now drenched her, Julia's heart ached as she watched the young girl's distress intensify. The mystery of the underlying problem weighed heavily on her, exacerbating the distress she felt for her adoptive daughter.
Julia found solace in the fact that her friend, Sylv, was present and likely willing to help. Yet, the knowledge of potentially exploiting their friendship left her feeling uneasy. She was fully aware that healing both Elian and Lys posed considerable risks to Sylv. Certain circumstances restricted Sylv from freely employing her exceptional healing abilities, and the dangers inherent in these unconventional healing methods were not to be taken lightly, even for someone of Sylv's caliber.
This heavy guilt weighed on Julia as she considered the ramifications of making her friend take such substantial risks. However, in her heart, Julia knew that in both cases she couldn't bear the thought of doing nothing to help.
First for Elian, his situation was dire, with his brain's function ceased, and the only potential solution was resuscitation-a complex procedure far beyond the capabilities of anyone within the confines of this small Kingdom. With her son at risk, Julia found herself with no alternative but to turn to her dear friend. The prospect of losing both her husband and her son consecutively was a burden she couldn't fathom carrying.
In Lysandra's case, Sylv's help remained a necessity. Julia's inability to discern any anomaly led her to believe that none of the Kingdom's healers possessed the expertise to diagnose or address this perplexing condition. Although she wasn't a medical professional, Julia was confident in her healing skills and medical knowledge, and she deemed herself unrivaled when compared to the practitioners in this backward Kingdom.
While she might not share the same deep maternal bond with Lys as she did with her son, Julia regarded the young girl as her adoptive daughter. A pressing reason to ensure Lysandra's well-being lay in the fact that, aside from herself, Lys was the sole person Elian had learned to trust. Over the years, Lysandra's presence had been a source of comfort for Elian, and her absence would undoubtedly disrupt the fragile trust that had been built. If anything were to happen to Lys, Elian's trust issues could deteriorate further, and Julia couldn't bear the thought of it.
Therefore, even though her guilt weighed on her, and her understanding of the accompanying risks remained acute, Julia couldn't help but cast a beseeching look towards her friend, subtly communicating her request for aid. In her heart, though, a flicker of pride remained, for Julia was not one to easily seek help or admit the depths of her concerns. Meanwhile, El remained lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to this silent exchange.
"I appreciate your concern, but remember, I'm not doing this because of you," Sylv assured Julia telepathically. She understood that Julia felt guilty about the risks involved in the healing process. However, this wasn't the first time Sylv had taken such risks, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Her unwavering dedication to helping others transcended personal worries.
Sylv, invisible to the naked eye and floating about two meters from the bed, drew closer to prepare for the healing procedure. Recognizing that Sylv's healing techniques tended to absorb surrounding mana like a voracious black hole, Julia kindly addressed El, "El, could you please give me some space? I need to heal her." The disruptive mana distortion was rather disconcerting for those in close proximity.
With precision and expertise, Sylv gently rested her hand on Lysandra's forehead and initiated the scan of the girl's body. In stark contrast to Julia, Sylv immediately detected the issue at hand. It was the brain, not physically injured, but exhibiting unusual activity.
'What an incovenience' Sylv thought
Despite finding the cause of the problem, the complexity of the human brain remained an obstacle to be navigated. Comprising thousands of intricate neural connections, each responsible for an array of thoughts, memories, and bodily functions, the brain concealed the specific neural pathways affected by Lysandra's condition. Unlike Elian's evident brain issue, Lysandra's situation wasn't as conspicuous.
Unfortunately, she couldn't heal without understanding the problem, as healing without this knowledge could potentially worsen the situation. It's similar to healing a broken arm but doing so without setting the bone back in its proper place. The arm might be "healed," but a new problem has been created. The only solution would be to break it again, realign it correctly, and then heal it properly. This example illustrates how even a straightforward issue can become more complex when mishandled. Now, imagine dealing with something as sensible as a brain.
Thus, Sylv embarked on a meticulous examination of each neural connection, meticulously comparing them to the standards set by individuals of the same gender, weight, mana density, and myriad other relevant parameters. Weirdly enough, she had this information stored in her mind. While a direct comparison to Lysandra's typical state would have been ideal, her lack of prior experience in healing Lys left her no alternative.
Remarkably, it took Sylv only a few seconds to discern the neural connections exhibiting irregular behavior. Once she had identified them, she grasped the underlying issue, and it took her by surprise, as it was not what she had anticipated.