Changes

Zelix burst into his house, his heart pounding, breath ragged—only to be met with a gut-wrenching sight. His sister lay on the bed, writhing in agony, her frail body convulsing. Her face twisted in pain, beads of sweat clinging to her pale skin. The sheets beneath her were soaked, a nauseating mix of urine and stool, and thick, white vomit dribbled from the corner of her mouth. The room reeked of sickness and death.

Panic seized him.

"What are you doing?! Save her!" Zelix screamed, his voice raw with desperation.

[System grants the entity Silvia Tennyson, Absolute Heal.]

[Error: Specific class user not detected.]

[Operation rejected.]

[System requests user to accept synchronization and select class ___ to heal Silvia. Doing so may result in future restrictions.]

[Yes/No]

"If you can save her, then YES!" Zelix roared, his mind consumed by a singular thought—medicine wouldn't help her now. It was too late for that.

[Synchronization in progress.]

[Initiating REM sleep…]

The world tilted. Darkness swallowed him whole.

Zelix jolted awake, disoriented, the smell of food tugging at his senses. His stomach growled, but the memory of his sister's state sent a jolt of fear through him. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to Silvia's room—only to find it empty.

His breath hitched.

Then, a familiar voice, bright and teasing, echoed behind him.

"Big bro, it's bad manners to barge into a lady's room without knocking."

Zelix turned, his heart nearly stopping.

There she stood—Silvia.

Not frail. Not writhing in pain. But standing, smiling, her silver-white hair shimmering under the sunlight filtering through the window. Her warm eyes met his, filled with a light he hadn't seen in years.

He fell to his knees, clutching her in a desperate embrace. A choked sob escaped him as he held onto her tightly, as if she would disappear if he let go.

For what felt like an eternity, he cried, the weight of two years of helplessness crashing down on him. Silvia giggled softly but didn't push him away. Instead, she ran her small fingers through his hair, whispering, "It's okay now, big bro. I don't remember much, but… the pain is gone."

Zelix swallowed, his throat thick with emotion. "Are you sure? Does it still hurt? Do you feel—"

Silvia cut him off with a gentle poke to his forehead. "I said it's fine! Everything will be okay now. I only remember the important things, not the pain. It's like… like my body remembers it, but my mind doesn't."

Her words both reassured and unsettled him. What exactly had the system done to her?

Then, she tilted her head and asked, "So… why did you change your hair to match mine?"

Zelix blinked. "What?"

She pouted and pointed. "Your hair. It's silver. Like mine."

His stomach dropped.

He rushed to the mirror—and gasped.

His once jet-black hair had turned an ethereal silver-white.

Before Silvia could ask any more questions, he forced a laugh and ruffled her hair. "Silly things don't matter. Now go make me food. I'm starving."

Silvia rolled her eyes but obeyed, retreating to the kitchen while muttering about demanding older brothers.

When the food arrived, it was terrible—over-salted, burnt, and barely edible. Yet, Zelix found himself unable to stop eating. Every bite was a taste of something he had thought he had lost forever: his sister's warmth, her presence, her laughter filling the home again.

After the meal, Silvia tried to shoo him to his own bed, but he refused. Instead, he settled at the edge of hers, arms crossed. "Sleep on my lap."

She pouted. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"Humor me."

Silvia huffed but crawled onto the bed, resting her head in his lap. Within minutes, her breathing steadied, her body relaxed.

Zelix exhaled slowly, brushing stray strands of silver hair from her face.

Then, he muttered under his breath as he looked at a translucent screen, "Let's see what to do now… shall we?"