Episode 8: A Dangerous Recovery

Talent Reborn – Season 2

Episode 8: A Dangerous Recovery

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a dimly lit alleyway. The cold night air hit Haruto's sweat-soaked skin, and for the first time in hours, he felt like he could breathe.

Renji stumbled forward, clutching his ribs. "We need to keep moving. They'll be searching for us."

Haruto nodded, but his body screamed in exhaustion. His limbs still trembled from the intense fight with Mikhael. The copied strength and speed were fading.

They pushed forward, slipping through the narrow streets of the city. The underground facility had been hidden beneath an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Tokyo, far from the main roads.

Haruto's vision blurred for a second. His head pounded—his body struggling to process the overload of copied skills.

Renji caught his arm. "Hey! Stay with me."

"I'm fine," Haruto muttered, though he wasn't.

They couldn't stop. Not yet.

They needed a place to hide.

After nearly an hour of walking, they arrived at a small clinic tucked away in a quiet district. The Tachibana Medical Center.

Haruto hesitated. "Ayaka's clinic…?"

Renji exhaled. "She's the only one we can trust right now."

Haruto felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't seen Ayaka in weeks. After getting caught up in the organization's conspiracy, he had distanced himself from her—trying to keep her safe.

But now, he had no choice.

Renji knocked weakly on the door.

For a moment, silence.

Then, the sound of footsteps.

The door creaked open, and Ayaka Tachibana's face appeared, eyes widening in shock.

"Haruto…?"

Before he could answer, his vision went black.

When Haruto opened his eyes, he was lying on a hospital bed. A bright light overhead stung his retinas.

His body felt… lighter. Less tense.

"You're awake."

Ayaka's voice.

Haruto turned his head to see her sitting beside him, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

Renji stood near the window, already patched up, looking away.

Haruto sat up, wincing. His wounds had been cleaned and treated.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days," Ayaka replied, still staring at him.

Haruto froze. "Two days?!"

"Your body shut down from stress and exhaustion. It's a miracle you didn't collapse earlier."

Ayaka's tone was sharp, but there was something else hidden beneath it. Worry.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Now, do you want to tell me why you showed up at my clinic half-dead?"

Haruto hesitated.

How much could he tell her?

Would she even believe him?

Renji finally spoke. "We were being hunted."

Ayaka's eyes narrowed. "By who?"

Haruto exhaled. "A group that doesn't want me alive anymore."*

It wasn't a lie. Just… not the full truth.

Ayaka's hands clenched into fists. "Damn it, Haruto… You disappear for weeks, and when you finally come back, it's like this?"

He looked away, ashamed.

But Ayaka's next words caught him off guard.

"I don't care what's going on. Just… stop shutting me out."*

Her voice was softer now.

Haruto swallowed. He had been pushing her away for so long, trying to protect her. But maybe… she deserved to know the truth.

Before he could say anything—

Renji's phone buzzed.

He checked the message, then cursed. "We have a problem."

Renji turned the screen to show Haruto.

A news broadcast.

"Breaking news: A wanted suspect has been identified in connection with an illegal medical experiment. Authorities are searching for a man in his mid-twenties, black hair, approximately 5'9", last seen near the outskirts of Tokyo."

Haruto's stomach dropped.

The screen showed a blurry security photo.

His face.

"They're coming for you," Renji said grimly. "And this time, they're not hiding it."

Haruto clenched his fists.

He had risked everything to escape, but now?

The real fight was just beginning.

To Be Continued…