Ethan ran like his life depended on it. His lungs burned and his legs felt heavy, but he did not stop. The call from the hospital kept ringing in his head. Sophie was sick. Really sick. They said it looked like poison, and she might not make it through the night if they did not operate soon.City General Hospital rose up in front of him, tall and shiny. Ethan hated how expensive it looked. His family could barely pay the rent on their small apartment. How were they supposed to afford a place like this?Inside, the air smelled sharp with medicine. Ethan pushed past people until he found the emergency area. Sophie lay on a bed behind a thin curtain. Her face was white as paper. Her chest went up and down too fast, like she could not get enough air.A young doctor looked up when Ethan came in. “Are you family?”“I’m her brother. Ethan. What’s wrong with her?”The doctor’s face was serious. “We think something toxic is in her system. It is spreading fast. She needs surgery right now or he

Ethan stood in front of the hospital desk, trying hard to keep his voice calm even though his heart was racing.“I need more time for the deposit. Just one more hour. My name is Ethan Rivers. I just won the Lucky Pearl lottery — two hundred thousand dollars. I’ll bring the money right away.”The kind older nurse, Mrs. Clara, looked up in surprise. “What’s your sister’s full name again, son? I need to check the file.”“Sophie Rivers!” Ethan was already turning to run. He disappeared down the hallway before she could ask anything else.Mrs. Clara blinked, then looked at the computer. Something in Ethan’s urgent voice made her pause. She changed the deadline from one hour to three hours and quietly saved it.---Ethan ran all the way to the Lucky Pearl Lottery shop. His lungs burned and his legs felt weak, but he did not slow down. Sophie still needed that money.When he pushed the door open, the same Eastern woman sat behind the counter. She wore different clothes this time, but he knew

Ethan left the Golden Garden and went straight to City General Hospital. Mrs. Clara was the next person on his list.He waited near the desk for almost an hour. When she finally came out for her break, he asked her to lunch. She looked tired but smiled and said yes.“I only have one hour,” she warned.“There’s a place two blocks away. We won’t be long.”They ate at a quiet European restaurant with white tablecloths. The food tasted good. When the bill came — two thousand five hundred dollars — Ethan kept a polite smile on his face while the cashier took his card. Inside, his stomach twisted. *That’s more medicine money for Sophie. But I have no choice.*Outside, Mrs. Clara gave him a short hug. “You’re a kind young man. Not many people remember the nurses.”Ethan only nodded. His face felt warm.The system voice spoke a moment later.[Two of five completed. Three remaining.]---By late afternoon he still needed three more names. Mr. Harris came to mind right away.The Night Owl Bar w

Ethan paced under the old streetlamp outside Ava’s building. His phone felt cold in his hand. Every call went unanswered. The system’s three-hour window was almost gone.Messages from Ava over the past months had already been short. I’m busy. Don’t call for a while. Tonight the silence felt final.He kept thinking about Sophie. The surgery deposit was paid, but the hospital bills kept coming. Medicine. Extra care. Days of recovery. He needed the system’s power. He needed the Grand Alchemist path. Without it, how was he supposed to keep helping her?A low, expensive engine growled around the corner. A sleek black sports car slid to a stop under the same yellow light. The passenger window was cracked open just enough for voices to spill out.Ava’s voice, soft and breathless: “Tomorrow we’ll do it all over again, baby. What you just did… it was so good.”A deeper male laugh answered. The words that followed made Ethan’s ears burn. He stepped closer without thinking, face almost touching

Ethan walked into the big glass building of Oldies and Goldies. The air inside smelled clean and expensive, like new leather and polished wood. Rich people moved around with quiet confidence. Collectors. Brokers. People who never looked at price tags.Ethan felt out of place the second he stepped through the door. His clothes were still stained from the ravine. He had not showered in two days. Dirt and dried blood clung to him. The faint smell of earth and herbs followed him.At the customer service desk stood a young woman named Maya Chen. Twenty-five years old. Tall. Carefully dressed. Heavy eye makeup and long bangs half-hid her face. She had worked here for two years and still had not gotten the promotion she wanted. Most of her “luxury” things were fakes bought from the underground market. Her phone wallpaper was a pale K-pop idol she called “husband” in secret.The moment she saw Ethan, her face closed.“Leave,” she said, voice sharp. “We don’t accept beggars. Security—”“I’m no