Felicity didn’t know how to respond.

Her eldest sister, the one she always looked up to while growing up, sounded like she was on the same side as her mother. Her plan was over before it even started.

The Water Sorceress was truly going to become a slave to her mother’s will, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The searing pain within her chest grew as the dread set in. Her heart was pounding relentlessly within her chest. If she hadn’t felt paralyzed where she stood, she’d have dropped onto her knees and grabbed at the source of her pain.

Unable to move or speak, Felicity merely waited for her sister to forcefully grab her and take her back onto the train. There was no use fighting what seemed like a death sentence, but at the same time she instinctually wasn’t going to simply accept her fate.

“It’s no use hiding. Your comrade’s already blown your cover, so why don’t you come out and explain why you’re following my sister.”

…

What?

Someone had followed her? Honestly, the Enchanter wouldn’t doubt it, especially with the way her parents were. It also meant Eden wasn’t speaking to her directly, which would be quite a relief.

Although, did that mean her parents were well aware of her plans? Were they going to drag her back screaming to London?

At this point, the pain just above her left breast had become almost unbearable. Felicity winced and instinctively grabbed at it. But she couldn’t let her mind spiral even further into a panic. If Eden was focused on the people who were apparently following her, she quickly needed to collect and calm herself. This was a make or break moment.

She would have to gamble. If her sister was lying, then she’d be done for. But if someone was really behind her, they could simply grab her and drag her back onto the train.

With a deep breath, the girl dashed forward to her sister’s side and hid behind her. The second she was behind the woman, Eden’s arm extended between her and whoever had been behind her, acting as a barrier. Upon witnessing this, Felicity knew there was nothing to fear. Even after all this time, Eden was still Eden.

Turning around, Felicity made out her followers. Three people were in the process of dropping their polymorphs. When the spell had fully faded, there were three indistinguishable men in front of them. Two of them were still converging on the center one from his sides.

“Don’t act cute, I know you’re over there,” Eden coldly stated. “Come join your friends. We’re about to have a little chat.”

A fourth person, a woman, began to approach from the distance. Immediately, she began to drop her polymorph, slowly clapping as she did so. At the same time, walking past them from behind was another woman who was dropping an invisibility spell.

The Enchanter could easily understand sending three people to follow her and drag her back home, but five? What could warrant such a large number of people? Was she actually worth that much? Thinking about what may have happened if Eden hadn’t met her at the platform disturbed her.

“I must say, I’m impressed. My little sister warranting being followed by five Illusion Maguses from The Shard is quite a feat. And I thought I was a troublemaker.”

“Well she is a noble after all, an asset to the Mageocracy. But before we continue I must admit I’m quite impressed. Miss Eden Fitzgerald, you truly live up to your name.”

“I appreciate the sentiment. It is quite unfortunate we are meeting under these circumstances.”

“Agreed. However, business is business.”

“I appreciate a man who gets to the point. So, let's make this as quick as possible. After seeing just how many of you there are and the physical state of my sister, which my parents have grossly understated, I have come to a decision. I will not be allowing her to return to London until I’m satisfied that she will be safe. Her health is one of my top priorities.”

“I’m afraid I cannot allow you to do that. The girl will be returning with us as soon after she completes her application.”

“Is that so?”

The central man extended his hand in a beckoning manner to affirm his statement. A shiver traveled down Felicity’s spine, and the pain in her chest became intense once again, causing her to grab at it.

Eden, however, didn’t budge an inch. Her expression was a refined fierceness that kept her elegance but meant business.

“If you know about my reputation, then you surely must know what you’re risking. So come then. Walk over here and take her yourself.”

With those words, Eden lowered her arm, but didn’t budge. She continued to keep her younger sister hidden behind her.

By now, Felicity could practically feel the tension in the air. Her sister and the group of Maguses the woman was staring down were on a completely different level compared to herself.

As for the man, he took two steps forward before suddenly stopping. His expression was one of mixed hesitation and contemplation. His gaze was one of determination, but it was obvious he was thinking about what he was going to attempt to do.

“Well?”

Eden, however, wasn’t going to have any patience with him. He was trying to take her little sister away from her. Such a bold move would undoubtedly draw resistance from the elder Enchanter.

After a moment, the man sighed and stepped back. His face was one of defeat and bitterness.

“I’d keep a close eye on her if I were you.”

“I’d keep an even closer eye on your six, sir.”

With a grunt, the man made his way down the platform, seemingly so he could cross to the other side and take a return train to London.

The younger Enchanter sighed in relief, the pain in her chest quickly fading away. At least for now, part of her ordeal was finally over.

In front of her, Eden kept up her fierce appearance for a few more moments, then relaxed. Immediately she turned around to face her younger sister. Before Felicity could get a read on her, she was pulled into a tight hug.

“It’s been too long Felicity. Far too long my little sister. Are you alright? You look terribly pale. I saw you grabbing at your chest like you were in pain. Are you alright? They didn’t do anything to you did they?”

Overwhelmed by the flood of questions, all the younger sister could do was try to stammer an answer. And because she’d rather avoid talking about her disease in such a public place, it would be best to try and change the topic as well.

“Big sis. I-I’m alright, I was just a little stressed out is all. You were quite fierce and had me worried you were working with mother.”

“Hehe. Sorry about that,” the woman said, letting go of her sister and hooking her arm underneath hers. “We’ve got so much to catch up on, come on, I want to hear all about it at my apartment. The walls have ears here, after all.”

“I just learned that the hard way.”

Eden smiled and rubbed up against her sister in a manner that felt reassuring to the girl. In response, she affectionately rubbed up against the woman, happy to have someone she could trust while stuck in Britain for the next year.

“Cheer up, you’re with me now. As long as you stick with me no harm will come to you. And… well it’s probably best to wait to tell you that until we get to my apartment,” Eden explained, glancing at Felicity. She suddenly hesitated and reached her free hand up to feel the girl’s forehead. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

It seemed her diversion didn’t last for long. Eden was quite concerned for her health, which honestly was to be expected. It seemed it would be unavoidable to speak about it in public. The Water Sorceress had to hope the wrong people weren’t listening.

“Ah, it’s just a side-effect of my disease.”

“Disease?”

“Yes. While I was in Australia I somehow developed Yarnick’s disease.”

Upon hearing this, the elder sister took on an air of contemplation. The woman looked down the street and then back to Felicity. She appeared to be torn, likely in part because she knew her younger sister was in pain earlier. If their places were switched, the girl might have already begun dragging Eden to get checked by a doctor.

A cold breeze brushed against the younger Enchanter’s cheeks, causing her to shiver.

“I know you said you were alright, but would you mind coming with me to Addenbrook Hospital for a checkup? I just want to be certain they haven’t done something to you is all. In fact, tell you what. If you do, I’ll let you tinker around in my workshop. And then I can see where you’re at enchanting wise.”

A checkup was something she was probably long overdue for. Her parents said she didn’t need one and refused to pay for one, stating it was all in her head aside from Yarnick’s. And, getting the chance to tinker around in Eden’s personal workshop was more than enticing. She could undoubtedly learn many things from her elder sister.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if there’s more of them?”

“Trust me, our parents may be nobles but they can’t afford to make waves. So long as you don’t make waves or do something to attract attention, they won’t send more grunts to try to coax you back. And if they do send more, they’ll have to get through me first.”

Eden did have a point. Earlier, she’d stopped five Maguses and as far as she knew, Eden was still an Enchanter who by now maybe had a mild experience with transmutation. By no means was she a fighter, so there must have been something else deterring them from getting any closer. Given that was the case, it should be safe to get a checkup. At least, as long as it was with someone Eden knew.

“A-Alright. If it’ll put your mind at ease.”

“Hey don’t be so nervous! It’s not like Skylar’s here right now. I only see her maybe once every other month for a luncheon.”

Felicity looked over her shoulder before responding. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Skylar, but rather that she simply didn’t want to deal with her elder sister. Not after she changed.

“I’m glad for that.”

“Whatever happened to her anyway. Ah, we can discuss it later. This way.”

Eden led Felicity out of the station and down the street in front of it. In the distance, the Enchanter could make out several tall buildings. A college perhaps? From what she’d heard, Cambridge had university buildings all over town.

Felicity had heard many other things about Cambridge as well. It was where the best of the best mages in the world came to learn and hone their spellcraft. But the Enchanter knew that she likely wasn’t one of those people. She hadn’t had a formal education in Britain, and the fact that Eden got in was in itself an impressive feat. But then again, Eden was a literal genius when it came to enchanting. As for Skylar, the girl apparently just scraped by getting into Lucy Cavendish, the lowest ranked house of the university. And that was apparently thanks to Eden’s accomplishments.

If she actually wanted to attend Cambridge would she be able to do so? As a tier 5 Enchanter with a measly Frontier education, she wasn’t so confident. That was just the nature of the world they lived in. But it wouldn’t hurt asking her elder sister about it.

“So, do you think I’d have a chance at enrolling here if I really wanted to?”

“That depends, are you a better enchanter than Skylar?”

That itself depended on whether or not Skylar had tiered up or focused on her transmutation. It was certainly possible that she could be a higher tier than her.

“I might be? I’m nowhere near as capable as you were when you graduated from Lilith’s, but I think I do alright.”

“Hmm, what tier are you?”

“I’ve been Tier 5 for about a year now. I don’t think I’d be able to tier up for another couple of years unless I go through intense training. Yarnick’s prevents me from stressing my body too much though, so that’s out of the question.”

“Any other schools?”

“Transmutation Tier 2, I haven’t been focusing on it much though.”

“That’s odd. You’re such a hard worker.”

“Mother and father cut back our resources after Skylar left.”

“I see.”

It was obvious Eden didn’t want to talk about their sister nor their parents. And so for now, Felicity decided it was best to shift the conversation to Eden herself. It’d been seven years after all, and they were in Cambridge of all places.

“So how have you been Eden? It’s been seven years since I last spoke with you. I haven’t heard anything other than a handful of passing comments from Skylar.”

“Is that so? Well let’s just say I’ve been quite busy. I’d have to say all the hard work I’ve put in is worth it now that I get to see you again sis.”

The woman lovingly squeezed up against the girl again.

“I’m glad to see you too Eden.”

Another question dodged. Whatever Eden was hiding, it must have been something she’d have a lot of questions about, and the woman seemed keen on dodging questions for now. Just how awful must this place be if one couldn’t so easily talk in public?

“I must admit, I’m surprised to see you have a winter coat,” the woman commented, changing the topic with ease.

Felicity’s coat was actually more of a fall coat, and it certainly wasn’t keeping her toasty at the moment, but it could be doing a worse job. Still, getting sick wasn’t an option for her. Especially when Eden was already worried about how she normally looked.

“I honestly think I might need a better one. It’s so cold here.”

“Bit different from Australia isn’t it. Man, I miss the summer heat,” Eden reminisced, her expression taking on a lighter tone.

“I’d prefer to be somewhere in the middle,” Felicity replied honestly. A lovely paradise that stayed warm all year long sounded absolutely delightful. For now though, there were other matters that needed to be attended to. Actually, now that the girl thought about it, getting a checkup certainly wouldn’t be cheap given they were in a Tier 1 city. It would be best to make sure she could afford it. “So, how much is this going to cost?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been pinching crystals since I got here. I’ve got quite a small hoard now, so I’ll cover your checkup. Actually that reminds me, before we continue,” Eden trailed off as she pulled out her Message device and punched in a glyph.

Unfortunately for Felicity, the Message was silent, so all she could do was bide her time and wait for Eden to finish speaking with whoever she had messaged.

After a few minutes, the woman ended the spell and smiled down at her.

“My best friend will be meeting us at the hospital’s clinic. I think you’ll like her. She’s really nice, and much like us she’s a foreigner.”

“Oh?”

“Did you think I’d hang out with the native crowd?”

Knowing Eden that made sense. Much like how Felicity was snubbed this morning, Eden was probably treated the same. Only Eden was the kind of person that didn’t take being snubbed in such a way well. She always ignored those who were ignorant, treating them as if they didn’t exist or using them until they became useless.

Even now, Eden was still Eden. It was nice to know that some things never changed.

“I’m glad you’re still you sis.”

“Likewise. I’m just happy to finally be reunited with you. Now, let me tell you a little about Addenbrooke.”

[https://imgur.com/Ys9pKEb.jpg]

Addenbrooke Hospital was known throughout Britain as one of the greatest places of healing ever built. Its current incarnation was built as a state-of-the-art facility in the late 60s, designed specifically with plans of future renovations in mind so that it could always remain near or at the top of the medical field.

A world-renown research hospital, Addenbrooke provided treatment for much rarer and harder to cure diseases. It was thanks to the research done by the hospital that cures had been found for many magical diseases, including Glamour Syndrome, Marlowe’s Disease and Pandora Disorder. In addition to this, the hospital’s research had also resulted in innovative therapies for severely damaged mana conduits and several dozen other incurable diseases.

While the main part of the hospital was research-centric, services that most hospitals typically provided were also available. The hospital couldn’t survive off of charity alone, after all. From regular checkups to routine medical tests, Addenbrooke’s provided all of it.

Felicity and Eden’s current destination was the general outpatient clinic on the northern end of the hospital. Eden’s close friend, a Biomancer who currently had a residency at the hospital, would meet them and examine her there.

The younger Enchanter kept her arm hooked with her sister’s as they walked down the Hills Road.

They made small talk along the way. The younger Enchanter confirmed she’d gotten horribly sick from the constant long-range teleports, and Eden assured her the same thing happened to her the first time she teleported long distance. It’s something she’s uncertain she’ll ever get used to.

Felicity, on the other hand, asked her older sibling to confirm that her friend could be trusted. Eden had assured her that she indeed could, as she was her personal doctor and, on top of that, the only person she felt like she could trust in Britain aside from Felicity.

And so, after making a short right far down the road, they arrived at the front of the hospital.

“I’d rather wait out here for her but it’s too cold. Shall we head inside,” Eden asked, her cheeks rosy.

“Sure,” the younger sister replied.

Walking past the front glass sliding doors, the two were met with what seemed to be a completely normal waiting room. It was a bit cleaner and more welcoming than the waiting rooms of hospitals she’d been to in Sydney, but still mostly the same. The overall décor was more homely feeling, though.  

At the opposite end of the room was a large desk with several nurses in blue sitting behind it. One of the nurses looked up and waved to them. Immediately, Eden began to approach the woman with her younger sister in tow.

“Hi Eden, how can I help you? Wait let me guess, another burn,” the nurse cheerfully asked with a smirk.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Hi Emma. This is my younger sister, Felicity,” Eden explained, gesturing to her. “She looked rather unwell when she arrived at the station earlier this morning and I pestered her into getting a checkup with Kono-san.”

The nurse seemed surprised when Eden mentioned the Water Sorceress was her younger sister. For a moment, the nurse studied her, then turned back to the elder Enchanter.

“Oh? Has Felicity been here before?”

“She hasn’t. My sister only arrived from Australia about a week ago, and this is her first day in Cambridge,” Eden explained.

“I see. So then will she be-“

“I’ll be covering her medical expenses,” Eden interrupted the woman, clearing up a potentially awkward situation before it began.

The nurse hesitated before responding, choosing her words carefully. Something about the interaction between the two felt off to the younger Enchanter.

“Alright. And is she,” the nurse trailed off, obviously not wanting to say something that might annoy Eden.

“Yes. Kono-san told me earlier she’d have her records restricted like mine are. As for the unrestricted paperwork, please list her address and other contact information as mine.”

“As you wish miss Fitzgerald. Dr. Kono will be with you two in a few minutes,” the nurse said, standing up to presumably go find the necessary data slate that held Eden’s records so Felicity’s could be written down as well.

“Thanks Emma,” the woman said before turning and pointing over at a few chairs on the left side of the room, “let’s go sit over there.”

“Right,” Felicity replied, surprised by how fierce her big sister was. But now she had questions she needed answers to, like why were her records being sealed.

Once they’d sat down, Felicity decided to quietly ask her about the matter.

“Eden, what do you mean by records being sealed?”

Before she spoke, the woman looked around the room, then quietly explained.

“My records are sealed and require special access to get to for… reasons which I cannot discuss outside of a warded room. But as for you, you’re still of the nobility and believe me, other nobles will do anything to get information on you to use against you. Because of that, I’m having your records sealed like mine are. They’ll only be accessible by the medical staff here that treat you, The Shard and yourself if you request them.”

“I see.”

“It’s just a precaution really. I don’t want anyone digging around is all.”

“I understand.”

Having no one dig around her private business was certainly delightful. It was an extra bit of security that made her feel a bit safer with her current situation. Perhaps this year wouldn’t be as bad as she dreaded it would be.

“On the bright side, you won’t have to get a checkup for a long while after this is done.”

“I’m glad. Hospitals make me nervous.”

“Understandable. I don’t like them much either, but for a while I had a terrible habit of burning myself with some tools I had specially enchanted. Getting used to a different set of tools was certainly interesting to say the least. Speaking of which, is my old set still in Sydney?”

“They’re in my ring. I figured you’d want them. Don’t worry, I didn’t let Skylar touch them and I only used them when I really missed you.”

Immediately, Eden’s face brightened up with excitement. The nostalgia of simpler days must have been strong.

“Ooooh. I’m so excited to use them again. Though they won’t be as efficient as my rented place’s tools.”

“You rent a workshop?”

“That’s right. After we’re done here, we’ll stop by and I’ll show you what a real Enchanter’s workshop is like.”

Felicity could picture it now. A small room full of hundreds of high precision tools, all in excellent condition. Organized containers of materials necessary for enchanting stacked upon each other on shelves throughout the room. On display, a few of her sister's best pieces, displaying the talent of their creator. Felicity soon found herself so deep in her thoughts that she nearly forgot they were sitting in the waiting room.

However, she quickly came back to attention when she noticed a woman entering the room from a door on the opposing side. One that stood out compared to the nurses she’d seen so far.

For starters, this particular woman was wearing a white lab coat, indicating her status as a doctor. On top of that, it was evident from her physical appearance she was Japanese. Her black hair featured a ponytail in the back, with well-kept bangs in the front. The woman’s auburn eyes carried a strong sense of professionalism and delight, her face maintaining the same air. A small, cute mole was visible just below and to the left of the left eye.

But that wasn’t what surprised her. What caught her eye was that the doctor looked to be the same age as herself, a teenager. But how could a teenager be working as a doctor at one of the world’s most renown research hospitals?

Upon spotting them, she briskly made her way across the room.

“Good morning Eden,” the doctor cheerfully greeted her older sister with a light accent before turning to her and extending her hand. “And you must be Felicity. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dr. Kono Seiko, I’ll be giving you a checkup this morning. Please, follow me, the exam room is this way. Eden, you too.”

“It’s nice to meet you Dr. Kono, I’m glad to be in your care,” Felicity gingerly replied, standing up to shake the woman’s hand properly.

“Good morning Kono-san, you seem busy today.”

“Ha, I wish. It’s slow this morning, but I don’t mind.” The woman said leading them across the room and opening the door she entered from to let the pair of sisters into the main clinic. “So Felicity, how was your trip here from Australia? I heard you had a little trouble.”

The doctor seemed to want to get right down to business. And she wasn’t the kind of doctor that appeared to treat patients like they were just another patient, given how she was talking to Eden.

“It was a little rough. Having not teleported like that before caused me to become really sick.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Personally, I’m not a fan of ISTC and SISTC transit either. Fortunately, one doesn’t usually need to make use of long-range teleportation.”

“That’s quite a relief.”

Keeping pace behind the doctor, the duo made their way down a pair of hallways before the woman stopped in front of a door and gestured to it.

“In here, please.”

Upon entering the examination room, Felicity could easily discern it was much better equipped than the ones she’d seen in the Frontier. Aside from the usual examination table and counter cabinets with included sink, the room featured several machines, all foreign and strange in design to her. She recalled something about it being a taboo to give cutting edge Magitech to Frontier cities. Perhaps that’s why she’d never seen such equipment before?

Behind her, Dr. Kono was locking the door. After doing so, the woman made her way over to one of the counters and picked up a data slate, one that looked much more advanced than any she’d seen before.

“So Felicity, Eden tells me that you’ve been having chest pains today. Can you tell me when they started occurring and what they feel like? And on a scale of one to one hundred, how painful are they?”

“They started about four years ago. I was diagnosed with Yarnick’s Disease shortly after I began experiencing them and I’m taking medication for it. Whenever I get stressed, I feel a searing hot pain in my chest in the upper left area of my torso. As for pain, when it’s there it’s usually around 80 but sometimes it can get as bad as 95.”

“Hmm. Do you feel that pain when you’re stressing your body or do you feel it when you’re anxious?”

“Both actually. More so when I’m anxious, but I feel a dull pain when I exercise.”

Her answer seemed to catch the doctor off guard. The woman scratched the back of her head and took on a look of contemplation.

“Tell me, how often do you exercise?”

“I try my best to exercise at least three times a week.”

“Hmm. You don’t look like a fighter. But then again, you’re an enchanter, so that’s not to be expected to begin with,” the doctor stated as she walked over to the girl and began closely looking her over. She placed her hand on the Water Sorceress’ forehead and sighed. “Your temperature’s completely normal too, and you don’t have a cough or sound like you’re sick. I’m not quite certain this is caused by Yarnick’s. Do you mind if I run some tests?”

What kind of tests is what Felicity wanted to blurt out. Holding her tongue, she looked at Eden who smiled and nodded. Eden did trust the woman, and so far as Felicity could tell, Eden hadn’t changed a bit. If tests would help figure out if something more was wrong with her, then what was the harm?

“If it helps then I don’t mind.”

By now Dr. Kono had already gone to grab a gown from the one of the cupboards and was walking back. That was something which the Enchanter didn’t know whether to be unsettled by or just simply surprised.

“Good, please take everything off and put this on. Eden and I are going to step out of the room for just a moment to give you some privacy.”

“Everything?”

“Everything. The machine unfortunately tends to not like undergarments, but I assure you the hospital gown has been designed for minimal interference.”

“A-Alright.”

Stripping down all the way? Hopefully the gown would afford her privates some privacy. She wasn’t anywhere near comfortable with letting someone see her in a remotely revealing manner. But then again, if it put Eden’s mind at ease then she could suffer through the discomfort.

By now, Eden had already made her way outside of the room, with the doctor following suit.

“Please let us know when you’ve changed,” the Biomancer said as she closed the door behind her.

With that Felicity was left alone to get changed, away from prying eyes. The girl sighed and then quickly took off her clothes, setting her coat, scarf, blouse, pants and, begrudgingly, undergarments neatly onto a chair so they wouldn’t crease.

The enchanter steeled her mind for what was to come next. While the gown covered most of her body, it ended just below her knees. On the bright side, it didn’t give away anything revealing about her privates, something she was grateful for. The room was also warm, so she wasn’t shivering.

Taking a deep breath, Felicity called out, “I’m ready.”

Dr. Kono and her older sister re-entered the room. The Biomancer was scratching the back of her head again, a look of contemplation and confusion on her face.  

“Felicity, I should have asked this earlier, but are you eating well? You haven’t been skipping meals have you?”

“No ma’am.”

“I see,” the woman tapped at the data slate she was carrying. She then pointed to a black square on the floor. “Could you stand over there please? I’d like to get your height and weight. Also, from what I’ve heard, you’re seventeen, right?”

“That’s right. I’ll be turning eighteen in March.”

As ordered, Felicity stood on the black square. Dr. Kono walked over to a screen next to her and punched in a few glyphs she couldn’t see. A wave of analyzing mana permeated her body, and her basic biometric information appeared on the screen.

“163.8 centimeters and 39.23 kilograms. A bit light for your height. We’ll need to work on that.”

Felicity could have sworn she was in good enough shape. What was there to work on? It wasn’t like she was going to become a fighter. Then again, the woman did have a point. With her lifestyle, her longevity wasn’t terribly great even if she didn’t have Yarnick’s. The nature of the disease just made it that much shorter.

“Next, could you please step onto this platform over here? I’m going to take a Sonogram.”

Dr. Kono had extended her arm out in a presenting manner toward one of two platforms.  Rising up from this platform were two pillars of stainless steel. Extending from each pillar was what appeared to be a single metallic prong.

As far as Felicity was concerned, the machine looked like it would brainwash her, and so naturally she was apprehensive.

“Sonogram?”

“Ah right, we didn’t have those back in Sydney because the Mageocracy likes to steal everything,” Eden chimed in. “Basically, a sonogram is a projection of your body that will allow Kono-san to get a better grasp of what’s going on inside of you. Like your organs, for example.”

“That certainly sounds useful.”

The Enchanter slowly walked over and onto the platform. For some reason, it still made her a little nervous. It wouldn’t hurt, would it?

At the same time, the doctor was adjusting the prongs so that one was pointing toward her head and the other to the middle of her abdomen. After making the adjustments, Dr. Kono stood in front of her.

“Perfect, just keep facing this direction,” the Biomancer instructed.

“This isn’t going to hurt, is it?”

In response, she was met with a small chuckle from both Eden and the doctor.

“Don’t worry, it’s completely painless. It will feel a little weird though, as the mana this machine emits will permeate your entire body. Just stand still and it’ll be over in a moment.”

“Alright,” Felicity replied with a nod.

Suddenly, there was a flash. A wave of analytical mana that permeated every part of her body passed through her. The feeling lingered for a moment or two before fading away.

On the platform next to her, a purple projection of her body appeared. To her surprise, aside from a degree of transparency it was wholly life-like. But that wasn’t the odd part. Overlaid with the projection was her astral form.

“That’s certainly fascinating. The projection that is.”

By now, doctor Kono had already stepped in front of the illusion, tapping away at glyphs, some visible, some not, while she incanted invocations that the girl mostly didn’t recognize. Felicity stepped down to take a closer look, but it was quickly obvious some of the glyphs weren’t visible to her eyes.

“Don’t worry, she gets focused like this sometimes,” Eden said while joining the two. “One moment she’ll be chatting and the next she’ll be so focused she forgets about the conversation she started.”

“She’s very professional. Dr. Kono also seems to work quickly too.”

“I like that about her. Though sometimes she can work a little too hard, but she’s always been that way. No rest for the wicked like us I guess. As for the machine, pretty cool tech don’t you think?”

Next to them, the doctor suddenly stopped and sighed. After a few more invocations, she turned to Felicity. “Well I have both good news and bad news. Which would you like first?”

Immediately, Felicity blanched. Good and bad news was almost as bad as bad news. At least usually that seemed to be the case. Most times the bad news part was quite awful. It might as well be gotten out of the way.

“The bad news, please.”

“The bad news is that you’re having a baby.”

…

A what!?!?!?

A baby!? She was just seventeen, she couldn’t take care of baby. She could barely even take care of herself, let alone survive on her own. How was she going to take care of a child?

“W-what?”

“I’m kidding. The actual bad news is that I can fix most of the problem in one go, but there are going to be some extra steps you’ll need to take to make sure it stays away.”

Honestly, Felicity didn’t know how to respond to the doctor. The Water Sorceress was still trying to recover from the doctor’s attempt at a joke.

“O-oh. Well that’s certainly better than having a baby,” Felicity stammered. “And what’s the good news?”

“The good news is that you don’t have Yarnick’s.”

Felicity felt like the Biomancer was dropping the mental version of strategic class spells onto her. This whole time she thought she had Yarnick’s and she didn’t? Did that mean the doctor’s she’d visited in the past had lied to her?

It was certainly a possibility. Her mother made a significant amount of HDMs from her London based businesses, and the number of crystals she made monthly was likely more than Eden, with all of her talent, could make in a year. And Eden was an entire Tier above her mother in Enchanting. 

“I don’t?”

“No. Rather you were misdiagnosed. It might have just been a temporary illness you were experiencing at the time. However, that misdiagnosis resulted in you taking medication that you didn’t need and has instead negatively affected you. Basically, it’s created an unusual growth called a Malignant Stress Growth. This particular type of growth doesn’t react well to the chemical reactions stress causes throughout the body, which explains why you were experiencing pain when you were anxious. Though I’m guessing you don’t do intense workouts, otherwise you would feel the same searing pain when you worked out.”

The long explanation took the Enchanter a moment to absorb. So essentially, what she didn’t have was Yarnick’s but instead some sort of growth within her body that was slowly trying to kill her. And from what Dr. Kono was saying, the growth was treatable. So, that meant she’d be cured?

Being cured was something she’d only ever dreamed of. For that to become a reality was utterly shocking. That the Water Sorceress could walk around without having to worry about a disease killing her was what she always wanted.

“So it’s treatable then? You can cure me?”

“It most certainly is, and I most certainly can. However, the main issue lies in that there’s the possibility the growth will just start to regrow once I remove it because of the buildup in your system of the medication you’ve taken for Yarnick’s. So I’m going to immediately put you on a prescription for a medication called Telaxertel, which should counteract the other medication you’ve been taking. It has no negative side effects. Basically, it’ll help your body cleanse itself of the medication you’ve been taking while at the same time preventing the growth from reoccurring. You’ll be on it for about a month just to be on the safe side. Do you have any questions so far?”

She’d be cured. After years of living under her parents’ foot, she’d finally be cured and independent of them. It was mind-blowing that she’d no longer have to live worrying if she’d make it to the next week.

“I think I understand. This is truly amazing. But wait, so how will you get rid of the growth?”

“With a spell called True Restoration. It’ll kill the growth and make it completely disappear, as well as help correct any other irregularities in your body due to low-tier healing.”

“Woah, the healing in Tier 1 cities really is amazing. I deeply appreciate this Dr. Kono.”

“Ah don’t worry about it. It’s my job to make sure my patients are healthy,” the Biomancer modestly replied with a warm smile. “Please lie down on that examination table over there.”

As directed, Felicity walked over to the examination table and lied down, making sure to keep the lower hem of her gown in check.

At the same time, Dr. Kono being punching in glyphs that locked onto various parts of the projection. Notably, she rotated the projection several times, carefully placing several glyphs aimed just above her left breast, and then three where her head was.

Seemingly satisfied, the Biomancer took a step back. “Now don’t be alarmed, I’m just going to wake up my spirit.”

Spirit? Dr. Kono had a spirit? From what the Enchanter had learned from her tutors, spirits that were compatible with Biomancers were rare. But she was in London of all places. If one were to see a healer with a spirit it would be here. Although, what did she mean by wake her up?

“Wake her up?”

“Mhmm. You’ll see what I mean in just a moment.”

“I think you’ll like her spirit. She reminds me of Iris a little bit,” Eden chuckled.

The spirit reminded her of Iris? In that case, did that mean the spirit could talk to others?

Suddenly, with a flash of blue mana, a form appeared next to the doctor.

Dr. Kono’s spirit took on the appearance of a young elfin teen who’d just gotten out of bed. Her long hair was as if a bluish purple had been mixed with white, making it a light pastel. Her skin was flawless snow white. Her amethyst purple eyes were barely open, indicating that she’d likely just been woken up. The girl’s ears were similar to Luna’s, short and pointed, but featured a slight curve toward the ends.  

The spirit’s ghostly grey dress was adorned with aquamarine and amethyst colored accents. On her left arm, she wore a detached sleeve that ended as a fingerless glove, with what appeared to be amethyst gems on the knuckles. An aquamarine stone was set in the center on the back of the hand.

The girl stretched and yawned and then looked around the room.

“Konoooooooo I’m still sleebi.”

“You’re always sleepy.”

“Can’t we do this in like five minutes?”

“You can go back to sleep after you help me with this patient, Camilla.”

“Fiiiiiine. Who is it?”

“Eden’s little sister, Felicity.”

“Oh,” the elfin spirit perked up and looked over at her. She raised her right hand and exaggeratedly waved it to her. “If it’s for one of Eden’s sisters then I’m more than happy to lend a hand. My name’s Camilla, it’s nice to meet you Felicity. We should meet again later when I’m actually awake.”

Felicity, on the other hand, was in complete disbelief. Spirits that were compatible with Biomancers were one matter, but humanoid spirits that were compatible with Biomancers were even rarer. And even more, Camilla was adorable. The Water Sorceress wasn’t one to be envious, but she certainly felt so at the moment.

“It’s nice to meet you Camilla. You’re quite a cute girl.”

“You hear that Kono-tan, she thinks I’m cute!”

In response, the doctor chuckled and patted her spirit, who was roughly two heads below her height. Eagerly, the elfin spirit leaned into the affectionate pats.

“That’s because you are adorable. Now, I’ll be channeling my spell through you. We need to be as precise as possible alright?”

“I can do that,” Camilla replied.

The Biomancer began incanting her spell. At the same time, Camilla wandered over to Felicity’s side and pet her head, then held her hands over the girl’s chest.

“This is gonna feel really good, just stay still for me, kay,” the teenage spirit assured her.

“Okay.”

“True Restoration.”

Carefully aimed positive energy permeated the targeted parts of her body. The gentle warmth was accompanied by an intense itching sensation in her chest that she desperately wanted to scratch. But she knew better than to do so. Oddly, she could feel a little of the warmth throughout the rest of her body, especially her head.

After a few moments, the warmth faded away. Immediately after, Camilla cutely yawned and stretched her arms out.

“Bedtime!”

Before anyone could respond, the spirit had already begun entering her pocket dimension, leaving behind a few motes of blue mana.

“Don’t worry, she’s usually like that when I’m working. How are you feeling,” Dr. Kono asked as she made her way over to the girl’s side.

Oddly enough, Felicity felt like a pressure that had been inside of her chest was gone. It was also easier to breathe, and for some odd reason, her mind felt clearer.

So she was cured then. The nasty mess inside of her that she thought she’d have to live with for the rest of her life was suddenly gone, as if it never existed. And soon, she wouldn’t need medication anymore. That meant she could go back to Australia if she wanted to.

In a year, she’d be able to see Iris and Luna again. Perhaps she could even convince Eden to come with her. That thought alone was overwhelming.

“I feel much better. In fact, it’s even easier to breathe now. I… I-I don’t know how to thank you, Dr. Kono.”

Dr. Kono, meanwhile, seemed to be taken back a bit by the overwhelming gratitude the Enchanter was trying to show her.

“I’m glad the treatment worked. That growth was rather large and I wasn’t wholly certain I’d be able to destroy it one go. I do want you to come in for a follow-up in a month though, just to be certain the growth is gone permanently.”

“Of course,” Felicity replied.

“Just give me a moment to write the prescription. And Eden, I suppose you want to go out and pay the bill?”

“That’s right. What’s the damage?”

“200 HDMs.”

“O-Oh.”

“I’m kidding. 46 HDMs with a month’s prescription of Telaxertel included. Before you got out let me just…,” the doctor explained as she quickly wrote out a prescription on a data-slate, then pressed a button and lifted a piece of paper off of it, handing it to Eden.

“You had me worried for a second. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll meet you in the lobby.”

Quickly, Eden made her way out of the room before Dr. Kono jokingly increased the price once again.

“So Felicity, my recommendations are as follows. First, make sure you take two pills in the morning and two pills at night for the next 28 days. Second, you really need to get more exercise in. I recommend at least an hour of physical activity a day. Third, don’t overextend yourself. Your body is in a weakened state and needs time to build muscles back up. Any questions?”

Felicity was certain she’d be capable of doing all of those things. The daily hour of physical activity was something she wasn’t necessarily so certain about, but everything else seemed feasible. By now, the understanding that she was cured of her disease was finally hitting her.

Overall, the biggest concern she had now was the weakened state of her body. Only time would be able to fix that, she supposed.

“None. Thank you again doctor.”

“Alright, I’ll let you get changed. Let me know when you’re ready and we’ll go back out to the lobby.”

With that, Felicity was left alone once again.

Discarding the hospital gown onto a chair, she hastily reached for her undergarments and put them on. But before she put the rest of her clothes on she examined her body.

To her surprise, her skin’s color was beginning to return. In addition to that, her once frail looking figure was now slightly more supple. It was physical confirmation that she’d been cured.

Eagerly, the girl quickly changed into her regular clothes. Knowing Eden, she’d likely best not waste time being mesmerized by the effects of the healing magic.

A couple of minutes later, she was fully dressed and ready to go.

“I’m coming out.”

The Enchanter emerged from the room to find Dr. Kono leaning against the opposing wall, scribbling away at a data slate. A moment later, she looked up, her blank expression quickly cracking into a smile.

“Wonderful, your color is starting to come back. By tonight, it should hopefully be close to its natural color,” The woman said as she began walking down the hallway. Instinctively, the Water Sorceress followed her.

The doctor seemed like such a nice person. Which begged the question: how did she and Eden meet?

“Dr. Kono, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you and Eden meet?”

“Ah. That’s a question best left to her to explain. She tells it better than I do and her story is much more interesting.”

“I see. I hope we meet again soon.”

“Trust me, you’ll be seeing me often.”

By now, they’d reached the door leading out to the waiting room. The doctor winked at the girl, then opened the door. Standing a few feet away from the entrance was Eden, still wearing a smile on her face.

“Ready to go,” her elder sister asked.

“Yep.”

“I’ll see you two later. Eden, keep an eye on her. Felicity, make sure your older sister doesn’t burn herself or work too much today. Ask her to show you around the city.”

“Hopefully things pick up for you. Otherwise I just might have to burn myself a little bit,” Eden replied in a flirty tone.

“Oh is that so? I’ll make sure to make your bones itch then,” Dr. Kono replied sultrily. With that comment, the doctor closed the door. Immediately, Eden began leading her out of the hospital.

“See? That wasn’t so bad was it?”

Felicity was still shocked that in a matter of what had to have been about two hours she’d gone from believing she might die as early as next week to suddenly having a wide-open future full of possibilities. A future where she didn’t have to worry about her parents trying to make her life horrible.

“I-I honestly don’t know what to say Eden. In the course of two hours you’ve managed to completely turn my life around, something I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own even when trying my best. Seriously, thank you.”

“Ah, don’t thank me. Thank her again the next time you see her. She won’t admit it, but hearing people tell her thank you means a lot to her.”

“I’ll make sure to do that. I was surprised by how friendly she was while remaining professional.”

“Yeah. She likes to keep up her professional appearance when she’s working but all bets are off when she gets off work.”

 “Oh?”

“Trust me, you’ll see soon enough. For now though, Kono-san did have a point. You should at least have an idea of the area you’re going to be living in for the next few months. After the tour, we can head to my workshop and catchup there.”

“Sounds good, lead the way sis.”

With a wide grin, Eden lead Felicity back up Hills Road.