Professor Healer

Episode 4: Unlikely Alliance

>>>>>

The moment Lucas gently placed Kiara in Ericka's arms, he knew the confrontation was inevitable. Ericka Lazatin wasn't the type to let anything slide—especially not after witnessing him heal her niece with glowing hands. He watched as she carefully held Kiara, still unconscious but now breathing normally, and saw the confusion and awe battling on her face. She didn't say anything immediately, but Lucas could sense the questions brewing behind her dark, wide eyes.

As they walked Kiara back into the daycare, Ericka remained unusually quiet. She handed her niece over to the paramedics, who were gently placing the children on stretchers, preparing them for transport to the hospital. Despite the chaos swirling around them—panicked parents, the beeping of medical equipment, and the murmured discussions of doctors trying to figure out what had happened—Ericka seemed fixated on Lucas. Her piercing gaze followed his every movement.

Finally, when Lucas thought he could handle her silent intensity no longer, she grabbed his arm and tugged him aside, away from the crowd. They stood near the old oak tree at the edge of the playground, the same tree where Lucas had often watched the children play from afar. Today, it felt like the only place in the world where they could talk in relative privacy.

Ericka crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, her lips tight. "Alright, spill. What the hell did I just see back there?" she demanded, not wasting a second.

Lucas let out a long breath. He knew he had to be careful. Ericka wasn't exactly known for her belief in the supernatural or mystical. She was tough, logical, a gang boss with zero tolerance for nonsense. But here they were, standing under a tree after he had just healed her niece with magic.

"Ericka," Lucas began cautiously, "what you saw... I'm not exactly... normal."

"No kidding," Ericka snorted, rolling her eyes. "I watched you heal Kiara's head with glowing hands, Lucas. You're going to have to do better than 'not normal.'"

"I'm from a line of powerful babaylans," Lucas said plainly. He was never good at dramatic reveals, and this seemed as straightforward as possible.

"Baba-what now?" Ericka blinked, clearly confused.

"Babaylans," Lucas repeated. "Healers, ancient spiritual leaders with connections to the earth, the ancestors, and the spirits. My family has carried these abilities for generations, and... well, I'm the last one."

Ericka's skeptical expression deepened. She paced back and forth, mumbling to herself. "Babaylan... babaylan... I swear I've heard that word before... wait." She paused, furrowing her brows. Her hand instinctively went to her temple, and she squinted as if trying to force a memory to the surface.

Suddenly, a flash of memory hit her like a slap to the face. She saw herself as a child, perhaps no more than seven or eight, running through a forest. She had fallen, hard—tumbling down the rocky slope of a small cliff. Her young body was bruised and battered, her head bleeding from a deep cut. She remembered someone finding her. No, not just someone—glowing hands. A pair of hands, just like Lucas's, hovered above her as she lay in the dirt, healing her injuries.

Ericka's eyes went wide as the memory came into sharper focus. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Can it be him? But that was 20 years ago, the man is old by now."

Lucas watched her carefully, sensing the flood of realization hitting her all at once. She staggered backward, her face paling. "Ericka?" he called out, concerned.

Before she could say another word, Ericka's knees buckled beneath her, and she fainted.

"Ericka!" Lucas lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the ground. He lowered her carefully, making sure she didn't hurt herself in the process. For a moment, he stood there, holding her awkwardly as her body went limp.