The Undertaker's Apprentice: The Necromantic Secrets of Blackstone

The deep winter of Blackstone Town always carried a bone-chilling cold. The wind, like an ice-tempered knife, swept through the desolate Black Pine Forest, swirling with snowflakes that slammed fiercely against the cracked glass windows of Blackstone Town Hospital, emitting a low, wailing hum, as if the souls of the dead were whispering in sorrow. A leaden gray cloud cover stretched across the entire sky, with not a glimmer of sunlight piercing through, enshrouding the town in a dull, oppressive gloom. Even the withered trees by the roadside hunched over, their twisted branches interlacing like emaciated hands reaching toward the sky, exuding an indescribable eeriness.The heating in the hospital corridor seemed to have long since failed. The cold air crept up from the soles of the feet, numbing the fingertips. Eli Thorne huddled on the bench at the end of the corridor, his worn, faded old coat offering little protection against the cold. Unmelted snowflakes clung to his shoulders, leaving wet streaks that seeped into his skin, piercingly cold. He hung his head slightly, his hands clutching a crumpled bill so tightly that his knuckles turned pale, and the edges of the paper were almost crushed. The numbers on it, like a sharp blade, stabbed into his heart, word by word, relentlessly."Ten thousand dollars for treatment and surgery, plus two thousand dollars a month for imported medication to sustain her life. She has at most three months left." The doctor's heavy words still echoed in his ears, filled with unwavering finality. "Eli, Lena's Blood Thorn Disease is extremely rare. This is the only way to save her life right now. Whether you can raise the money depends on these three months."Eli slowly lifted his head, his eyes red and bloodshot, as exhaustion and despair flooded over him like a tide. He was twenty-two years old. His parents had died in an "accident" in the Black Pine Forest when he was ten—no one knew exactly what had happened, only that from then on, he had been left to care for his sixteen-year-old sister, Lena, alone. Over the years, he had barely made ends meet by doing odd jobs, scrimping and saving just to get Lena through high school. But fate had dealt him the cruellest blow.He glanced toward the ward at the end of the corridor, its door tightly closed. Through the small glass window, he could faintly see the huddled figure in the hospital bed. Lena lay there, her face as pale as a sheet, her breathing barely perceptible, with faint dark red thorny patterns spreading across her skin—the hallmark of Blood Thorn Disease. Each pattern brought excruciating pain, keeping her awake all night. Last night, Lena had held his hand, her voice weak yet gentle, and said: "Brother, I'm fine. Don't overwork yourself. If it's too hard, we can give up."Give up? A sharp pain twisted in Eli's heart, constricting his throat and making it hard to breathe. How could he give up? Lena was his only family, the only light in his cold, empty world. He would save her, no matter the cost—even if it meant breaking his back, even if it meant losing everything, he would never let her leave him like this.Three days ago, upon learning of Lena's illness, Eli had begun asking everyone he knew for money. He first went to his distant relatives in the town. Those who had seemed kind and warm in the past instantly lost their smiles when they heard he needed ten thousand dollars for his sister's treatment, their voices filled with mockery and refusal. "Eli, have you lost your mind? Ten thousand dollars—where do you think we'd get that kind of money?" "Lena's illness is a bottomless pit. No matter how much money you pour into it, it might not cure her. Why waste your time?" "Just accept your fate. A poor kid like you can't save your sister."Each cold word hit Eli like a hammer, shattering his pride. He put aside all his dignity, hung his head, and begged repeatedly, but all he received was indifference and dismissal. He then went to his former boss at the sawmill, the man who had always said, "You're a hardworking boy." Now, though, the boss frowned, his tone sharp and cruel: "Eli, this isn't a charity. I pay you for your work—that's more than fair. Lend you money? Impossible. You're useless, can't even save your own sister, and you have the nerve to beg me?"Rejection after rejection, mockery after mockery, pushed Eli to the brink of despair. When he walked out of the sawmill, the snow was falling harder, the wind stinging his face, but he felt no cold—only the despair in his heart, spreading little by little, threatening to consume him entirely. He wandered aimlessly down the town's streets, the snow crunching under his feet as if mocking his helplessness and incompetence.He walked to the snow outside the hospital, slowly squatted down, hugged his knees, and buried his face in his arms. Repressed sobs finally escaped him. He hated his own powerlessness, hated that he couldn't even raise the money to save his sister, hated this cruel fate that had poured all its hardships on him and Lena. Snow fell on his head and shoulders, quickly covering him in a thin layer, turning him into a snowman, but he didn't notice."Brother, you have to be okay. I'm still waiting to get better and see the spring in the Black Pine Forest with you." Lena's gentle voice echoed in his ears again, filled with a hint of hope and dependence. Eli suddenly lifted his head, tears mixing with snowflakes as they slid down his cheeks, freezing into tiny ice beads. He wiped his tears fiercely, clenched his fists, and the despair in his eyes was gradually replaced by determination.No, he couldn't give up—never. Even if everyone mocked him and rejected him, even if the road ahead was full of thorns, even if he had to do the most terrifying, most demeaning work, he would raise the money and save Lena's life. He stood up, patted the snow off his body, his eyes becoming unusually firm, a stubborn curve forming on his lips.The wind still howled, the snow still fell heavily, and the gray clouds over Blackstone Town showed no sign of lifting. But in Eli's heart, a faint yet unwavering flame had been ignited. He knew the road ahead would be difficult—even unimaginably dangerous—but as long as it meant saving his sister, he was willing to bear everything. He turned and walked back into the hospital, his steps heavy yet steady, each one moving toward the ward, toward hope. Little did he know, fate had already paved a completely different path for him—a bizarre path leading to Elliott Funeral Home and the century-old secrets of Blackstone Town. And he had no choice but to walk it, step by step.