Ch 1 - Prologue

Linghua General Hospital, Beifeng Prefecture.

Ward 27-B.

1:04 AM.

A young girl, presumably about 8 years of age, lay asleep on the lap of an old lady, her tears having made their mark on her face. Her pensive expression was apparent through her furrowed eyebrows, as if the girl was in a nightmare.

"Shh....", the grandmother whispered in the ears of the little girl.

"Everything's going to be alright for your brother."

The girl was still deep in sleep.

It was not long ago that this young lady had no semblance of her usual self. Upon reaching home after a joyful day, her life seemed to collapse around her. Her dear brother, the rock in her life, had been hit by a drunk driver in a fancy sports car who then hurriedly drove off from the scene.

It seemed to be just yesterday when she hugged her brother in her own arms and softly told him that she loved him. And it was true. He was, apart from the old and lonely woman that neighboured the two orphans, the only one she had in her life. Every day, her brother would send her off to school in his little moped, and he would kiss her little forehead, saying, "See you later, alligator."

She had only seen this side of her brother for her. He was, otherwise, not a sociable people's man. But it wasn't his fault, no, it was just how he had to be. Working as a worker at the local construction sites, he had never complained about his sorrows to anyone.

She still remembered the day he smiled and told her, "Don't you worry about your brother. You do the best that you can, and brother will take care of the rest." Of course, she only nodded, but made a resolve to one day help ease her brother's heavy burden.

But the mean, cold man dressed in white told her that her brother would likely not survive.

Now, who would be her anchor? Who would hug her on the cold winter days, who would gently kiss her and encourage all her efforts? She did not know. She prayed, "Oh God, if you exist, please help my brother.", as she headed into a place where her brother was still okay.

The old lady sighed, adjusted her glasses, and looked at the door of the operating room, and slowly closed her eyes as well.

Inside the operating room.

The surgeon in white looked towards the anesthesiologist, and recieved confirmation that the patient was properly sedated.

"Let's start the procedure immediately. We have no time to waste. Scalpel.", the surgeon said.

The nurse nodded, and handed the surgeon his scalpel.

He briefly glanced at the EGC and saw the heartbeat rapidly lower, and he put his scalpel close to the patient's skin, thinking about where to start the incision.

"W-what is this? Where am I?", a voice rang out in the air.

"Why can't I move? What's happening?", a male voice echoed in great panic.

He tried to move from the bed, but no matter how he willed, no matter how he tried, he was stuck in place, looking towards the surgeon in white holding the sharp grey scalpel.

He seemed to notice, from the corner of his eyes, a man giving the surgeon the confirmation to go ahead.

"HEY! I'm awake! Don't do anything!", the male voiced cried out, but to no avail.

"Starting now.", he heard a voice say.

The patient seemed to hear everything being said, and his panic grew further.

He struggled, and he struggled, but his flesh was not his anymore. No muscle, no tendon and no bone in his body would listen to his desperate cries.

His terror grew as he saw the cold and unfeeling scalpel approach his forehead.

"Hey! I'm awake. Stop now!", he screamed out.

Then it sliced.

"ARRRGGHHHH!", the patient squealed, but he had no room to move. He could not distract himself, but he could feel the scalpel digging into his flesh, the skin being torn apart by the scalpel and tongs. He felt the air attack his exposed muscles, and he felt his throat tearing up.

But nothing happened in reality. The surgeon still performed his surgery, and after a few minutes, he stopped.

The patient cried in a terrible manner, the likes of which he did not know he had the capability of doing.

"Oh god....please...make it stop."

The surgeon still did not hear the desperate pleas of the patient, though, as he moved to the stomach and made one clean slice into his stomach.

"AARRRGHHH!", the second symphony started again. But for much longer this time.

It seemed like an eternity. But without the adrenaline, without the shock, and without the ownership of your own body and the ability to move a single muscle, the pain could only be amplified.

He saw it through his wide, open eyes. He saw the way his flesh was torn, the way his skin was robbed from him, and the way his organs were neatly rearranged. But even worse, he felt it all.

The surgeon paused for a bit and said, "Reconvene after 5 minutes. We will proceed with the second phase of the operation."

The patient had no words, he had no reaction, and perhaps worse of all, he had no emotions by this point.

He only felt the world around him grow heavier, his spirit getting more tired, and his mind lose what was left of his sanity.

The nurse looked up from the corner of her eyes towards the heartbeat monitor, and noticed the patient's heartbeat growing lower and lower.

She hurriedly informed the surgeon, who saw that the heartbeat had practically flatlined by this point.

"Aye...We tried. But we weren't able to save this one.", he shook his head and stood up, feeling it a pity.

"Go and tell the patient's family that we couldn't save him.", the surgeon told the nurse as he got ready to exit the room.

"Got it, sir.", the nurse simply nodded.

The patient, lifeless, finally moved at the last minute, the final defiance, the last burst of power, and turned his stripped face towards the green hospital door.

"Sister....I don't want to leave you..I really don't. Please forgive your brother. Live strong, please.", a tear fell from the patient's exposed face, as he had his final heartbeat, ceasing to exist from this world.

He had gone as painfully as he came. Nothing in life had ever been kind to him, and his greatest virtue in his life was having a sister as adorable and kind as she was. But this was fine too. Maybe this would help her grow. It was just a shame that he wouldn't be there to see it.