Alex moved swiftly, his feet hitting the pavement with precision. Being a Paragon, speed and endurance came naturally to him. The run from the faction base to the large city hospital had been intense, but he didn't let up.
In no time, Alex arrived at the hospital. His breathing was heavy, chest rising and falling rapidly as he slowed down. He paused at the entrance, taking a deep breath. The cool air filled his lungs, and within moments, his breathing steadied. Beads of sweat trickled down his face but quickly began to dry as he wiped them away with his forearm.
'That was a long run... I'm sure I broke a world record there,' Alex thought, a slight smirk forming on his lips.
He stepped through the hospital's automatic doors, his eyes immediately scanning the area. It didn't take long for him to spot what he was looking for.
Parked in one of the spaces near the entrance was a sleek black SUV—one of the flashiest models. Alex instantly recognized it as his mother's car.
"She's here already… I thought the traffic might slow her down. Guess I wasn't as fast as I thought," Alex mused, shaking his head.
"Anyway, I need to hurry before I get into more trouble," he reminded himself, heading toward the hospital building.
Inside the entrance, a long reception desk stretched across the room. Three receptionists sat behind it, each wearing neatly pressed nurse uniforms. The area was bustling with people—patients, visitors, and hospital staff. Despite the crowd, Alex managed to catch the attention of one of the receptionists.
The woman, likely in her mid-thirties, gave Alex a polite but strained smile.
"Hello, young man. How may I help you?" she asked, her voice light but tinged with fatigue.
Alex hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Uhm… I'm here to see Doctor Anna Wyndham," he replied, trying to sound confident.
The receptionist's smile faltered almost immediately. Her eyes flickered with something—recognition, perhaps—but she quickly composed herself. Alex noticed the shift but didn't comment.
"I see," the woman said, forcing the smile back onto her face. It was more strained
"No… Not at all. She's my mother," Alex replied.
This time, the nurse couldn't keep up her fake smile. A bold frown replaced it as she stared at Alex.
"Give me a second to make a call," she said curtly, picking up the telephone and turning away from him. She spoke in hushed tones, but Alex's enhanced hearing easily caught the conversation.
"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but I have a teenager here claiming to be the son of the Witch Doctor. What do you want me to do with him?" the nurse whispered into the phone.
Alex's eyes narrowed as he listened. Witch Doctor? His fists clenched. He heard the response clearly.
"Her son? Keep him busy while I handle his mother. If he causes trouble, hand him over to the boys," the voice on the other end said, followed by the abrupt beep of the call ending.
Witch Doctor? Deal with her? Alex's mind raced. Who are these people? His fists tensed further as the nurse turned back to face him.
"Please wait in the corner. Doctor Anna is busy right now. Step aside for the next person," she said, her tone cold and dismissive.
Something's wrong, Alex thought. The sudden change in her tone… and what she said on the phone. Something bad is happening.
"Did you hear me? Move aside! Screw off!" the nurse barked, raising her voice.
But Alex didn't budge. His jaw tightened.
"I need her office number. Where is it?" he asked, his voice low and steady. His eyes narrowed further, and without realizing it, his heartbeat quickened.
"I'm not telling you anything," the nurse snapped. "Move aside! When your bitch mother is free, you can go see her!"
Alex's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He took a step forward, but before he could move any further, a hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"Kid, I don't think you should hit a normal human," a man's voice said calmly.
Alex turned to see a chubby man standing behind him, holding a donut in one hand while the other rested firmly on Alex's shoulder. The man looked ordinary, but Alex quickly realized something was off—he couldn't move forward, no matter how hard he tried.
[System Alert: Faction Member]
[Mage]
Seeing the system message, Alex immediately understood who the man was.
"You're a brother?" Alex asked.
In the Dragon Roar Faction, "brother" was a term used to refer to fellow members. According to the system, the man restraining Alex was a Paragon and a mage at that.
"What are you doing here?" Alex questioned.
"Don't worry about me. I'm just an agent handling spying and gathering information," the chubby man replied casually, taking a bite of his donut. "I'm sure I can help you with whatever you need."
He walked over to the nurse, who looked startled but didn't react fast enough. The man swiftly grabbed her wrist with his free hand.
"Tell the boy what he needs," the chubby man said firmly.
As if under some kind of influence, the nurse's expression twisted in frustration, but she complied.
"Your mom's office is on the third floor, east wing. Office 13," she said reluctantly.
Alex wasn't sure what had just happened, but one thing was clear—the man had helped him. A fellow member of the Dragon Roar Faction.
"I'll have to thank you later," Alex said, nodding at the man before dashing off.
---
Moments after Alex disappeared, the chubby man turned back to the nurse, his demeanor shifting slightly.
"Now," he said, his voice colder, "tell me everything you know about this 'Witch Doctor' and why she has that name."
---
Meanwhile, Alex hurried away from the reception area, his mind racing.
Something's wrong. Something bad is happening, he thought, recalling the conversation he had overheard on the phone.
'Keep him busy while I deal with his mother.' That's not a casual comment. I need to move fast.
Opting for the stairs, Alex sprinted up to the third floor. He quickly found himself in a long hallway, his eyes scanning the signs as he moved, constantly checking for the information he'd been given.
Office 13… East wing, he reminded himself, pushing forward with urgency.
As Alex was about to pass by a particular door, both doors on either side suddenly swung open. Ignoring them, Alex ran forward. However, before he could react, a powerful shove sent him crashing into the closed door ahead.
The force of the push caught him off guard. He skidded across the floor, stopping only when he hit the wall.
Quickly, Alex got to his feet, scanning his surroundings.
He found himself in what should have been a typical hospital room for patients. But there was nothing inside—no equipment, no beds, just an empty space.
What concerned Alex more, though, were the men inside the room. They carried sharp objects and wore expressions that clearly weren't friendly.
"Who are you guys?" Alex asked, his voice steady, showing no fear.
"Brave kid," the man who had pushed him sneered. "You're either not scared or doing a damn good job hiding it."
The man stepped closer. "Let's get to the point. Your mother is a witch. We believe she uses some kind of magic to heal people. And as her son, you're expected to know something about that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alex replied firmly. "Now step aside and let me go."
"Oh, really?" The man smirked. "I forgot to show you something."
He pulled out a smartphone and held it up, showing Alex the screen.
It displayed a live feed from inside Anna's office. Alex saw his mother, Sera, and a man he didn't recognize. The man, however, was dressed like a doctor.
The scene played out before Alex:
Inside Anna's office, an unexpected visitor stood blocking the doorway.
"I was hoping Doctor Anna would be alone today," the man—Doctor Guity—said, a sinister smile on his face. "But as usual, Nurse Sera, you're glued to her side. Sometimes, I wonder if you two are… together."
Sera and Anna took a cautious step back.
"What do you want?" Sera demanded, her face hardened with defiance.
"What I've always wanted—answers," Doctor Guity replied, taking another step forward. "I want to know how Doctor Anna saves so many people. How does she do it? Is it magic? Is she a witch, like everyone says?"
His eyes narrowed as he pulled a dagger from inside his coat.
"You can either tell me…" he paused, his voice cold, "or I'll force it out of you."
"Talk," he ordered, the dagger gleaming in his hand.