UNIFIED W

Chapter 44: Irregular, part 9

As soon as Zeru saw Thomas enter the room, he moved toward him without thinking.

Questions crowded his mind, but his thoughts kept circling the same one. His hand drifted to his chest.

Thomas met his gaze and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Zeru shook it off.

"How is this possible?"

Thomas smiled, brief and controlled, then brought his hands together in a slow clap.

"I told you your story wouldn't end in a wheelchair."

Zeru lowered his eyes to his legs and shifted his weight, then stepped forward. Strength filled him, raw and unfamiliar, his muscles tight and ready.

He steadied himself and bowed his head, thanking Thomas.

"Thank you so much for giving me another chance at life."

Thomas didn't answer as footsteps echoed behind them and Doctor X entered the recovery room, adjusting his glasses.

As soon as Zeru saw Doctor X, his breath caught and his hand tightened at his side as he stepped closer.

"There's nothing to worry about now, Zeru. The operation was a success."

It took a few minutes of silence for Zeru to calm down and for his heart rate to return to normal, after which the doctor pulled out some files, and the atmosphere in the room quickly changed.

"We have a lot to discuss."

Zeru blinked a few times, his mouth dry, as the doctor began to speak.

"First things first, how are you feeling, Zeru?"

"To be honest... I've never felt better, I think."

Doctor X gave Zeru a quick smile and handed him the files, which Zeru immediately began examining as he started asking questions.

"What's all this?"

"This is your condition and everything we've recorded since you got here."

The files felt heavy in Zeru's hands, and his fingers tightened slightly as he held them.

"You managed to get all this in just a month?"

"Can you see who's working down there?"

Zeru glanced outside the recovery room, and his eyes widened at the sheer scale of the secret lab.

"This lab has the world's leading scientists and doctors, all working together to create what gave you a second chance at life."

Zeru's fingers brushed the glowing green crystal beneath his fire crystal, and he let out a soft exhale.

The doctor removed his glasses, set the files on the table, and continued speaking.

"It's impossible for anyone to have two crystals in their body unless..."

"Unless what?"

Doctor X's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Unless, of course, you are the mother of all crystals."

Zeru's chest tightened, and a rush of thoughts flooded his mind the moment he heard it.

'What exactly are they doing down here? How is it possible that I'm still alive... with two crystals inside me?'

Zeru's mind raced as he glanced at Thomas, who leaned against the recovery room door, arms crossed, a tight-lipped smile on his face.

Deep down, Zeru knew something about the doctor and Thomas didn't feel right, but he had to follow along and learn as much as he could about the second crystal.