As I spent these new moments with my adoptive little brother, the calm of the house was broken without the slightest delicacy.
The door flew open.
— Ravena! Are you there? I got a huge order, my hen, you're gonna have work!
Ryan Bostagus's voice echoed through the entire house, confident, familiar… too familiar.
But it wasn't me he saw first.
In the living room stood Neru.
Ryan stopped dead.
His smile froze, his gaze darkened slightly as he observed the boy from head to toe.
— Who is this kid? he asked in a dry tone.
Neru, surprised but not intimidated, straightened up immediately.
— And you, who are you?
A strange silence settled in.
I came out of the kitchen then, wiping my hands on a cloth.
— Ah… Ryan, you're back?
He turned to me, immediately regaining his usual assurance.
— Yes, and richer than ever. The southern countries were very generous with me this time.
His gaze slid back to Neru.
— But you didn't answer me. Who is he?
I didn't have time to respond before he continued:
— Anyway, we'll see about that later. I have an emergency. A strange disease was imported by a bat. Very contagious, very deadly. Ebola, I think that's what it's called.
Neru frowned slightly.
I stayed calm.
— And what do you want me to do? I asked, already aware of the answer.
Ryan rummaged in the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a small transparent jar, carefully sealed.
Inside, a dark liquid.
— Here's a sample of blood from an infected individual. That should be enough, right? If you need more, you know where to find me.
I shrugged.
— It's sufficient.
I approached and took the small jar between my fingers, immediately feeling the spiritual agitation contained in the blood. It wasn't just a bodily disease. There was something else… a deep distress, almost a panic imprinted in the matter itself.
Ryan then turned his head toward Neru, squinting his eyes.
— Wait… don't tell me you had a kid behind my back? And how did he grow so fast?
I immediately raised my eyes to him, cold.
— The presence of this child here is none of your business.
My tone cut short any attempt at joking.
— Fine. I'll analyze the sample and I'll let you know tomorrow how long it will take me to create a remedy. You can also tell me how many doses you want.
Ryan stared at me for a moment, surprised by my firmness, then nodded with that proud and calculating smile that never left him.
— Perfect. I like it when you work like that. Efficient. Discreet. Irreplaceable.
He started talking about trade routes, profits, affected cities… as if the lives behind those numbers were just variables.
Meanwhile, Neru said nothing.
He listened.
He observed.
His gaze went from Ryan to me, attentive, almost too mature for his age. He understood without fully understanding. He sensed that this man was not like the other visitors. That he was neither a friend nor a clear enemy.
Something was off.
When Ryan finally headed toward the door, he turned back one last time.
— Rest anyway, Ravena. You look tired.
Then he left, leaving behind him a scent of leather, gold… and silent danger.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Neru then raised his eyes to me.
— Ravena…
— Yes?
— That man… does he make you work to save people… or to make money?
I stayed still for a few seconds.
Then I answered honestly:
— Both.
He clenched his fists slightly.
— Then… be careful.
I looked at him, surprised.
He looked away, embarrassed.
— I have the feeling he doesn't see you the way I see you.
I placed a hand on his head, gently.
— Don't worry. As long as I keep control… everything will be fine.
But deep inside me, a thought imposed itself, heavy and clear:
Ryan Bostagus was not just a client.
And sooner or later… he would end up understanding that Neru was not just a simple child.
I went straight down to the basement laboratory.
I took care to put on thick gloves impregnated with purifying salts, then gently placed the small jar containing the blood sample on the stone table. The light from the magical crystals reflected in the dark liquid, immediately revealing what I dreaded.
It wasn't a simple viral infection.
The blood vibrated.
A chaotic agitation, almost panicked, as if the cells themselves were trying to flee something. The disease destroyed the body, yes… but it also attacked the vital breath, the balance between body and spirit.
— As I thought… I whispered.
I took out several vials, took quick notes, then brought up an enchanted magnifying glass. The magic confirmed what science alone could never have explained: the disease fed on fear, amplified despair, accelerating degradation.
A remedy was possible.
But it would have to be precise.
Very precise.
I went back up and called Ryan.
— Ryan, I've analyzed the sample.
— So? he launched immediately, impatient.
— It'll take me three days to develop the remedy. Two additional days to duplicate it properly.
A silence.
Then a satisfied laugh.
— Seriously? I was expecting at least two weeks! You're incredible, Ravena. Perfect, perfect… do what needs to be done, the money will follow.
— Very well.
I hung up.
Neru, who had been watching me from the threshold, approached.
— That was him?
— Yes.
— You seem… focused.
I placed a hand on his shoulder.
— Because this remedy must not fail.
We went back down to the basement together.
I began the preparation.
Rare plants first: Lyrhane leaves, Solméris roots, dried veille-esprit flowers. I cleaned them carefully, arranged them in a precise circle. Then came the magic: gentle, contained, woven slowly so as not to disrupt the remedy's balance.
Neru watched every gesture.
— Big sister… he hesitated.
— Yes?
— Can I… learn magic too?
I stopped for a moment.
I looked at him.
There was no greed, no unhealthy curiosity in his eyes. Only a sincere desire to understand. To help.
— Yes, I replied simply. But slowly. Magic is not a game.
His face lit up.
I taught him the basics: how to breathe, how to feel the flow without forcing it, how to listen rather than command. Meanwhile, we prepared the remedy together. He handed me the plants, noted my instructions, sometimes corrected my counts without even realizing it.
The days passed.
One… then two… then three.
Ryan called.
— Ravena, where are we at?
— The remedy isn't ready yet.
A strange silence.
— Not ready? You told me three days.
— I adjusted the formula. This disease is more unstable than expected.
— Are you sure of yourself?
— Always.
He hung up without insisting… but something had changed.
I felt it.
On the fifth day, the remedy was finally stabilized. A clear potion, threaded with luminous filaments. Then came the duplications, even more delicate. Each vial had to retain a share of the original magic.
Neru helped me to the end.
He progressed quickly. Too quickly for a normal child.
A whole week passed.
When Ryan arrived, he entered as always without knocking.
— Finally.
I handed him the crate containing the vials.
— Here.
He inspected them, satisfied, then raised his eyes.
And there… he saw it.
He saw the way Neru stood near me.
The way I smiled at him without realizing it.
The obvious complicity between us.
His gaze hardened.
— So… it's him, he murmured.
— Him? I asked.
— The one who slowed you down.
I stayed calm.
— He helped me.
Ryan smiled. An empty smile.
— Ravena, you know I appreciate you. But wealth doesn't wait. If something — or someone — slows you down… then that something becomes a problem.
Neru instinctively moved closer to me.
Ryan noticed.
And at that precise moment, I understood.
For his wealth…
Ryan Bostagus was ready for anything.
Even to break what I had just built.