Chapter 13: Memory and Mythril
The creaking sound of the door in the corner of the room snapped Cassian out of his hateful memory. The old man stepped through, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the remaining boxes neatly stacked against the wall.
"May I see him now?" Cassian asked, his voice firm and professional.
"Yes, right this way," the old man replied, his tone laced with doubt. He still questioned his choice to trust this young mage when professionals had failed, yet he led Cassian toward the inner chamber.
Cassian walked past the old man and into the inner room. There, on a simple bed laid upon the floor, was the sick little boy. It was a harrowing sight. His hair was patchy and pale gray, making him look aged, and his face was drawn and sickly white. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was alarmingly shallow. A faint, almost invisible, purple coloration tracked along the visible veins in his neck and forehead.
Cassian felt a wave of sadness and genuine fright. He had never seen a condition this severe. The boy's suffering, and the abandonment by his parents, fueled Cassian's resolve. He couldn't leave until the child was well.
With a heavy heart, he reached out and gently took the boy's frail hand in his.
Feeling the sudden, warm contact, the little boy's eyelids fluttered open.
"G...Grand...pa," the young boy managed, his voice barely a rasp.
The old man, who had been hovering anxiously behind Cassian, rushed forward, clutching his grandson's hand tightly.
"Yes, I'm here, my brave boy," the old man whispered. He was stunned—it was the first clear word he had heard his grandson speak in months.
"I... I'm... sorry..." the boy uttered, and then his breathing slowed even further, his grip going slack in the old man's hand.
Cassian's breath hitched. Tears welled up and tracked paths down his cheeks, struck by the child's last, sorrowful words.
"Please," the old man pleaded, turning desperately to Cassian, tears blurring his vision. "Whatever you want to do, do it now! Save him!"
Cassian gently released the boy's hand. He spread his palm, and a Mystic Card appeared instantly. He tossed it high into the air. Before the old man could react, a piercing, brilliant white light erupted from the card, forcing the old man to shield his eyes.
When the blinding light faded, the source of the boy's salvation was revealed: a flawless, palm-sized crystal, glowing intensely white, floating in the air.
The old man rubbed his eyes and stared. He couldn't mistake it. In his youth, he had worked in the mines, gathering special gems. He knew crystals that could boost magic, but this one—the one and the rarest crystal in the world, capable of boosting a person's power tenfold—was floating before them.
"Mythril Crystal," the old man whispered, his jaw dropping in shock.
The Mythril Crystal slowly floated down into Cassian's waiting hand. Cassian carefully took the crystal and placed it directly into the boy's slack fingers.
The crystal immediately intensified its glow, and the old man witnessed a miracle. His grandson, who had been weak and paralyzed, suddenly clenched the crystal in his hand, feeling an immediate, invigorating surge of energy course through his small body.
The young boy's eyes snapped open.
The dull, dead look was gone, replaced by vibrant blue pupils. Even more astonishingly, his hair began to glow, the sick gray color receding to reveal a shining, healthy blonde. The boy, wide-eyed in shock, pushed himself up to a sitting position.
The old man burst into joyful sobs.
The Mythril Crystal had healed his grandson in mere seconds. A wave of fear followed the relief: How much will he take from me? I have nothing left.
"Thank—" the old man began, ready to express his endless gratitude.
Cassian cut him off. "Don't thank me yet."
The old man looked confused.
"I'm not done," Cassian clarified. He turned to the child, who was still mesmerized by the beautiful, glowing gem in his hand.
"Listen to me," Cassian instructed the boy gently.
"Do you see that white shining crystal in your hands?"
The boy raised his hand and nodded, unable to look away from the crystal's beauty.
"I'm going to need you to swallow it," Cassian said.
"Wait, what?!" the old man exclaimed, startled.
"Yes. Swallow it," Cassian repeated to the child.