As they stepped deeper into the compound, Megan’s eyes widened. She had expected another luxurious mansion, but what stood before her felt like a glimpse into an ancient dynasty. Traditional wooden buildings surrounded the grounds, their curved tiled roofs extending gracefully beneath the evening sky. Red lanterns hung from the eaves, casting a warm, flickering glow across the stone pathways, while small streams of water flowed through carefully designed channels between the structures.Gardens stretched in every direction, but these were not ornamental. Every corner was filled with medicinal plants—some familiar to Megan, others she had never seen before. The air was heavy with the scent of herbs, roots, and medicinal oils. People dressed in spotless white robes moved quietly about, some carrying trays of herbs, others transporting wooden boxes filled with instruments. It felt less like a modern hospital and more like an ancient healing temple that had defied time.Megan turned to De

The white mist remained suspended inside the treatment room.Outside, however, something extraordinary was happening.The moment Derek activated the ancient healing technique, the atmosphere throughout the entire temple changed.A strange pressure swept across the compound. The medicinal herbs hanging beneath the wooden roofs began to tremble. The flames beneath several medicine burners flickered violently. Even the small streams flowing through the temple seemed to grow unnaturally still.Every healer stopped what they were doing.Patients lifted their heads.Those preparing medicines froze with their hands suspended in the air.“What is happening?” one of the younger healers asked nervously.“Do you feel that?” another healer asked as he looked around.“This energy…” a third healer whispered in disbelief.The senior healers stared toward the VIP treatment room.An invisible force seemed to be spreading from that room, filling the entire temple.One of the oldest healers in the compo

The heavy scent of medicinal herbs, usually so soothing, suddenly felt oppressive. The arrival of the military force had turned the sanctuary into a pressure cooker, the air vibrating with the tension of hundreds of boots pressing against the ancient stone. Sylvia Gomon didn't just walk; she occupied space. Every movement she made was precise, economical, and dangerous. As she stood in the center of the courtyard, her hand rested almost absently on the sidearm at her hip. Behind her, the soldiers formed a perfect, intimidating perimeter. The healers, who spent their lives working in silence and tranquility, looked like frightened children in the face of such raw, unvarnished aggression."You speak of immortals," Sylvia said, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous register as she locked eyes with Derek. "But the only thing I see here are people hiding behind walls and protocols while my grandfather is dying. Do you know how many 'immortals' I have buried in the mud of the borderland

When Derek stepped back into the inner sanctum, he found Megan exactly where he had left her. She was standing before the grand mirror, her hands ghosting over her cheeks, chin, and forehead. She moved with the tentative grace of someone fearing that a single sudden motion might shatter the illusion of her own reflection. Tears tracked through the faint traces of the treatment mist still clinging to her skin, but they were no longer tears of pain. They were tears of quiet, overwhelming disbelief.The deep, jagged scarring that had once defined her existence had vanished. In its place was skin as smooth and resilient as silk. Her features appeared softer, more vibrant, and possessed a youthful glow that she hadn't seen in the mirror for half a decade. To her, the woman looking back was not just herself—it was a miracle.“Derek,” she gasped, spotting him in the doorway. She abandoned the mirror and sprinted toward him, her movements light and unencumbered. She wrapped her arms around h

The taxi slowed to a stop in front of the Gomo family residence.Derek leaned back slightly and looked through the window.The compound was nothing like what he remembered.Five years ago, the Gomo family home had been large, impressive, but relatively quiet. Now it looked more like a military headquarters. Armed soldiers stood at almost every entrance, while security cameras covered the walls and several military vehicles were parked around the compound.Derek stared for a moment.Five years ago, Sylvia had only just begun finding her way into the military.He remembered how proud the Gomo family had been.Their daughter was joining the army.They had talked about it as though Sylvia had already become a national hero.Derek smiled faintly.At one point, becoming a military officer had been one of his own dreams.But software had eventually taken over his heart. He had loved computers, coding and technology so much that he abandoned the military dream.Looking at the soldiers surroun