Professor Clyde Youens smelled like antiseptic trying—and failing—to drown out alcohol.
Luke noticed it the moment he stepped into the office.
Books stacked in unstable towers.
Research papers marked with brilliance and bitterness in equal measure.
A mind still razor-sharp, housed in a body quietly collapsing.
This wasn't just a professor.
This was a warning.
First Meeting
"You're the Gallagher," Youens said without looking up. "South Side. Smart enough to be annoying."
Luke shrugged. "You're the one they say drinks genius for breakfast."
That earned a dry laugh.
"Sit," Youens said. "Let's see if you waste my time."
They talked math.
Then physics.
Then systems theory.
Thirty minutes later, Youens finally looked at him properly.
"You think sideways," he said. "That's dangerous. I like it."
The Diagnosis No One Asked For
As Youens stood, he staggered—just a fraction.
Luke saw it.
The tremor in the hands.
The faint yellowing at the eyes.
The shallow breath held a beat too long.
The System whispered probabilities.
Liver failure. Mid-stage. Months—maybe a year.
Luke didn't react.
Instead, that night, he opened the Karma Store.
Purchase Logged
Karma Spent: High
Skill Acquired:Traditional Chinese Medical Mastery
— Meridian diagnosis
— Pulse reading
— Herbal toxicology
— Organ-energy correlation
Knowledge flooded in.
Not mystical.
Clinical.
The Confrontation
Two days later, Luke returned to the office.
"You're dying," he said flatly.
Youens blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Liver's failing. Ascites soon. Then confusion. Then coma."
Silence.
Then anger.
"You think you're a doctor now?"
"No," Luke replied. "I think you're wasting time."
Youens stared at him—then slowly sank into his chair.
"Say I believe you," he muttered. "Then what?"
The Choice
Luke placed a sheet of paper on the desk.
Lab recommendations.
Lifestyle changes.
Sobriety timeline.
Treatment paths—Western and Eastern.
"You quit drinking," Luke said. "Now. Not tomorrow."
Youens scoffed. "I've tried."
"Then try scared," Luke replied. "Because you don't die as a tragic genius. You die as a footnote."
That hit.
Hard.
Forced Sobriety
Youens didn't thank him.
Didn't smile.
He just nodded once.
"I'll do it," he said. "But if you're wrong—"
"I'm not," Luke said.
Weeks passed.
The shakes stopped.
The labs improved.
The color returned.
For the first time in years, Youens taught without a flask nearby.
The Mentor Awakens
One evening, after a brutal seminar, Youens stopped Luke at the door.
"You saved my life," he said quietly.
Luke shrugged. "You still owe me tuition advice."
Youens smiled—a real one.
"You're not just smart," he said. "You're precise. That's rarer."
System Update
[World of Remorse — Mentor Arc: SUCCESS]
Wish Fulfilled:Dying Mentor Lives to Teach
Karma Gained: Significant
Secondary Effect: Legacy Preservation
Final Thought
Luke didn't save Youens for gratitude.
He saved him because the world needed fewer wasted minds.
And because—
some mentors deserved to live long enough to see what they'd shaped.
Professor Youens would.
Whether he liked it or not.