For a few days whispers around the city grew as the rumors echoed out from one sect to the others, Atom and Andi killed a Red cored beast.
For those below the nascent realm this was normally an impossible feat. Had the city knows Atom had killed it alone defending Andi they would probably have lost their minds.
Despite all the growing attention the black earth and sky sect remained quiet. All movement stopped for a week as, privately, the two apprentices attempted to heal their wounds.
Still unconscious Atom laid in the center of the room, blood dropped slowly flowing eventually through the poor boys veins.
Worried Andi asked "will he be okay?" Sitting off to the side.
Walking up and down the length of the wall master Lee spoke candidly; "this old man made a mistake in the moment, if I gave him the right pill he would have been fine..."
"But the beast blood transfusion..." she pressed.
"Silence! You are never to mention this!" In the moment he had approached his grand daughter- face stein "never speak the words, within this nation it's considered taboo..." raising back up to look at the wounded child, "This was all my fault I won't let him die over a rule but it's still not wise to flaunt it..."
"But..." pausing to think Andi finally spoke up "But will it work?" Tears began bubbling in her eyes. "It was my fault... I took him there... it's all my fault..." she sobbed.
For days and nights the old man and his granddaughter looked after the unconscious child. After the transfusion finished the two alternated refining and administering medicines.
From clotting the blood to stop the bleeding all the way to nutrition and Qi supplements. Neither mind the effort or the cost as both felt it was their fault.
"Is there any medication we could use to wake him?" Andi asked flipping through a medical book, "anything we missed?"
"Honestly this old man can only think of one thing but it's probably beyond my control..."
"What is it?" Andi yelled pulling on the old man, "I'm sure we can find the ingredients somewhere!"
Settling her down and adjusting his robe master Lee explained; "there are no ingredients, but the Qi condensation seal... if it's removed the pain would drive him awake..."
"Wouldn't that hurt him?"
"It's not the pain - he's already prepared for that it's just..." pausing Master Lee looked to the boy, "if he's below the realm it would at best cripple him and at worst, probably kill him."