Five years earlier.
The doctor's words continued to echo inside Daniel's mind.
Five years.
That was all the time Light supposedly had left.
The hospital room felt unusually cold.
Daniel sat silently across from the doctor, his hands resting on his knees. His expression remained still, but the nervousness in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Light's condition was unlike anything the doctors had encountered before.
A rare and mysterious disease.
One that slowly threatened his heart.
Daniel slowly raised his head.
"What can we do?"
The doctor remained silent.
For a moment, Daniel thought the man hadn't heard him.
Then, the doctor finally spoke.
"There's only one way."
Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly.
The doctor's voice carried uncertainty.
Something Daniel had not expected from the man.
"What is it?"
The doctor took a deep breath.
"Donating him the heart of a living person."
Silence.
Daniel stared at him.
For several seconds, he couldn't understand what the doctor had just said.
"What?"
The doctor sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"The normal procedure for a heart transplant requires a heart from a deceased donor."
Daniel continued staring at him.
"But Light's condition is different."
The doctor lowered his gaze toward the documents on his desk.
"According to our research, his body may not survive under the usual conditions of a transplant."
Daniel's fingers slowly curled.
"So..."
His voice became quieter.
"What are you trying to say?"
The doctor looked directly into his eyes.
"It's a theory."
Daniel's expression remained still.
"We have never attempted it before."
The doctor's words became heavier.
"The theory suggests that a healthy heart could be taken from a living donor and immediately transplanted into the patient."
Daniel's eyes widened.
His breathing stopped for a moment.
"What about the donor?"
The doctor immediately answered.
As if he had expected Daniel to ask that question.
"The donor would receive an artificial heart."
Daniel stared at him.
An artificial heart.
The words sounded almost ridiculous.
Like something from a science-fiction movie.
Daniel slowly looked down at his hands.
"So..."
His voice trembled slightly.
"The donor survives?"
The doctor didn't answer immediately.
And that silence gave Daniel his answer.
"Doctor."
The doctor finally spoke.
"In theory, yes."
Daniel raised his head again.
"In theory?"
The doctor clenched his jaw.
"This procedure doesn't exist yet."
The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became heavier.
"We have the technology necessary to develop such a procedure. We have studied the possibilities."
He paused.
"But nobody has ever attempted it."
Daniel's eyes remained fixed on him.
The doctor continued.
"We aren't talking about a procedure that failed during testing."
His voice became increasingly uneasy.
"We are talking about something that has never been tested on any living creature."
Daniel's expression changed.
The doctor continued.
"If we attempt this..."
He slowly pointed toward Light's medical report.
"Your son would become the first patient."
The room went silent.
No experiments.
No previous patients.
No proof that it would work.
Nothing.
Daniel slowly looked toward the window.
The snow outside continued falling peacefully.
A beautiful sight.
Yet Daniel could barely see it.
His mind was somewhere else.
Five years.
He remembered the doctor saying those words.
Five years.
Daniel slowly closed his eyes.
Light's uninterested face appeared inside his mind.
The small boy who never spoke.
The boy who stared at him as if Daniel were some strange cartoon character.
Daniel remembered the first spark he had seen inside those empty-looking eyes.
His spark of hope.
His Light.
Daniel opened his eyes.
"I'll do it."
The doctor froze.
"What?"
Daniel looked directly at him.
"I said I'll do it."
The doctor's forehead tightened with worry.
"Mr. Daniel, listen to me."
Daniel remained silent.
"This isn't a normal experiment."
The doctor stood from his chair.
"If we perform this procedure, we're attempting something on human beings that hasn't even been tested on animals."
Daniel's eyes remained still.
"There is absolutely no guarantee that either of you will survive."
The doctor stared at him.
"You could die."
Daniel didn't respond.
"Your son could die."
Still nothing.
The doctor clenched his fists.
"And even if the procedure succeeds, we don't know what the long-term effects of the artificial heart will be."
Daniel slowly leaned forward.
His expression had become unusually calm.
"Then I'll volunteer."
The doctor stared at him.
Daniel smiled slightly.
"If someone has to be the first..."
His smile slowly disappeared.
"Let it be me."
Five years later.
The day had finally arrived.
The same experiment.
The same theory.
But this time...
There was no more time left.
Light had collapsed.
And Daniel had made his decision.
The hospital hallway was silent.
Too silent.
Sophia stood near the wall, her arms tightly crossed.
Her usual confidence had completely disappeared.
Bosvel sat beside her.
His head lowered.
Neither of them knew what to say.
They had already received one terrible piece of news.
Light's condition had finally reached its limit.
And then...
They received another.
Daniel was going to undergo the experiment.
Sophia slowly covered her face.
"This family is insane..."
Her voice cracked slightly.
Bosvel looked toward her.
Neither of them laughed.
Daniel's decision had destroyed whatever little peace remained inside the room.
Sophia looked toward the operation room.
"He's really doing this."
Bosvel slowly nodded.
"Yeah."
Sophia clenched her fists.
"That idiot..."
Her voice became quieter.
"Why does he always make decisions without thinking about himself?"
Bosvel remained silent.
Because he knew the answer.
Daniel had thought about himself.
And he simply didn't care.
Not when Light's life was involved.
The doors to the preparation area slowly opened.
Daniel walked through them.
Sophia immediately turned toward him.
Bosvel stood from his seat.
Daniel was dressed in hospital clothing.
For once...
The man who always seemed larger than life looked completely ordinary.
No championship belt.
No fighting gloves.
No arrogant grin.
No towel and coat combination that made everyone question his intelligence.
Just Daniel.
A man about to risk his life for his son.
Sophia walked toward him.
She looked as if she wanted to yell at him.
But the words wouldn't come out.
Daniel smiled.
"Don't look at me like that."
Sophia clenched her jaw.
"You idiot."
Daniel chuckled.
"That's all?"
Sophia suddenly grabbed his arm.
Her expression changed.
"What if you don't wake up?"
Daniel went silent.
Bosvel looked away.
Sophia's grip tightened.
"What if this stupid experiment doesn't work?"
Daniel looked at her.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Then he gently placed his hand over hers.
"Sophia."
She looked at him.
"I'll wake up."
Sophia stared at him.
Daniel smiled.
"Probably."
Her eyes widened.
"PROBABLY?!"
Daniel immediately laughed.
"Okay, okay! I'll wake up."
Sophia looked completely unconvinced.
Bosvel finally stepped forward.
"Sir."
Daniel turned toward him.
Bosvel's expression was unusually serious.
"Are you sure?"
Daniel didn't hesitate.
"Yeah."
"But..."
Bosvel paused.
Daniel waited.
Bosvel looked toward the operation room.
"Young Master Light wouldn't want to lose you either."
Daniel's smile slowly faded.
He knew that.
Of course Light wouldn't want him to disappear.
Daniel looked down at the floor.
Then he smiled again.
"That's why I'm coming back."
A nurse approached them.
"Mr. Daniel."
Daniel turned around.
"It's time."
The hallway became silent again.
Sophia slowly stepped back.
Bosvel did the same.
Daniel took one last look at them.
"Take care of him for me."
Sophia frowned.
"You're coming back, remember?"
Daniel chuckled.
"Right."
Bosvel nodded.
"We'll wait."
Daniel smiled.
And then he turned around.
The operation center was different from the rest of the hospital.
As Daniel walked through the doors, a strange feeling crawled down his spine.
This room.
This place.
It had witnessed countless stories.
People had entered with hope.
Some had walked out smiling.
Some never opened their eyes again.
The room carried both life and death.
Despair and miracles.
Daniel slowly looked around.
The equipment.
The lights.
The doctors and nurses preparing everything.
Some of the most qualified medical professionals in the region had gathered for this operation.
Not because they were confident.
But because they were terrified.
Terrified of failing.
Terrified of making history for the wrong reason.
Daniel quietly walked toward the operating bed.
His heart was beating faster than usual.
Not from fear of fighting.
Not from an opponent.
But from uncertainty.
For the first time in his life...
Daniel was entering a battle where strength meant almost nothing.
His fists couldn't save him here.
His martial arts couldn't save Light.
Everything now depended on an experiment.
Daniel slowly lay down.
The cold surface touched his back.
He stared toward the ceiling.
The bright surgical lights blinded him slightly.
One of the doctors approached.
"Mr. Daniel."
Daniel turned his head.
The doctor looked nervous.
"There's still time to reconsider."
Daniel stared at him.
Then a familiar smile appeared on his face.
"Nah."
The doctor sighed.
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment.
Inside his mind...
He saw Light.
The little boy standing alone.
The boring expression.
The silent stares.
The first nod.
The messy handwriting.
The small moments of happiness.
Daniel slowly opened his eyes.
"Let's bring my son back."
The doctors exchanged looks.
The machines slowly began activating.
The operation room became filled with quiet sounds.
Daniel took a deep breath.
Outside the room...
Sophia and Bosvel waited.
And somewhere else inside the hospital...
Light remained unconscious.
Unaware of what his father had decided to do.
Unaware that Daniel had willingly stepped into an experiment that could change both of their lives forever.
The operation room doors slowly closed.
And with them...
Daniel disappeared from their sight.
The experiment had begun.