The Forgotten Bloodline

Chapter 4

Two days passed quickly.

During that time, Eric’s hospital room was rarely without visitors.

Students from his faculty came one after another to see him. Some brought fruit, while others stayed only a few minutes before leaving.

But Eric knew not all of them were genuinely concerned about him.

For most students at Astraea Vellora University, visiting a hospitalized classmate was merely a matter of social etiquette—and a way to protect their image. This was especially true now that Eric’s case had attracted public attention. Not visiting him could easily make others think poorly of them.

Astraea Vellora University had long been known as a gathering place for children from elite families. Most of its students were the sons and daughters of tycoons, government officials, and owners of major corporations. They had grown up surrounded by luxury.

Students like Eric were rare exceptions.

The only reason he could stand among them as an equal was the full scholarship he had earned through his academic achievements.

Despite knowing the real reason most of them had come, Eric still welcomed every visitor with a smile and a word of thanks. His demeanor remained perfectly calm, as though he held no grudge against anyone.

However, among all the people who came to see him, several names were noticeably absent.

The five students who had beaten him.

The student who had first spread the defamatory video.

Issabel and Christine as well.

Not one of them came.

There was no apology or explanation. None of them even believed they had done anything wrong.

Instead, they saw themselves as the real victims.

Issabel and Christine had even complained to their friends several times.

“If those stupid students hadn’t edited the video, the entire country wouldn’t be attacking us right now.”

In their eyes, the damage to their families’ reputations was far more painful than any injury Eric had suffered.

⸻

Late that afternoon, the door to Eric’s hospital room slowly opened.

A man in a black suit walked inside with measured steps.

Jason Smith.

He placed a basket of fruit on the table, then looked at Eric, who was leaning against the headboard.

“I heard the person who injured you still hasn’t been found.” Jason slowly shook his head. “People like that are truly despicable.”

Eric studied him for a moment before giving a faint smile.

“I also hope they find him someday.”

Jason pulled over a chair and sat down casually.

“What’s done is done. The world is too vast to waste your life chasing someone who may forever remain beyond your reach.”

He paused, then looked Eric directly in the eyes.

“Especially when your own abilities are limited. If I were you, I’d stop searching.”

Eric gave a small nod as though he agreed.

Jason smiled faintly. “Good. Then we understand each other.”

Eric stared at him for a moment before returning his smile.

“Not necessarily.”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“If that person hasn’t been found yet…” Eric gave a slight shrug. “Maybe his time simply hasn’t come.”

Jason fell silent for several seconds.

“You’re still young. The world isn’t that simple.”

“That’s why I’m still learning.” Eric smiled. “Sooner or later, everyone lets their guard down.”

Silence returned to the room. Only the quiet hum of the air conditioner could be heard between them.

Jason’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.

“You have quite a sharp tongue.”

Eric gave a small smile. “Just a coincidence.”

Jason slowly rose to his feet.

“Take care of yourself. You still have a long future ahead of you.”

“I hope so.”

“I’m sure you do.”

Eric held his gaze.

“Because I also hope everyone’s future reflects what they’ve done.”

For the first time, Jason’s smile faded.

Only for a moment.

He quickly regained his composure, turned around, and left the room.

⸻

About thirty minutes after Jason left, the door opened again.

Six doctors entered the room together.

Eric didn’t recognize a single one of them. Even so, their white coats and hospital identification badges gave him no reason to be suspicious.

One of the middle-aged doctors approached his bed.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Much better,” Eric answered politely.

The doctor smiled warmly.

“That’s good. We’re going to perform a brief examination.”

Without saying much else, the six doctors began examining Eric with remarkable thoroughness.

They checked his blood pressure, heart rate, pupillary reflexes, and broken arm one by one.

A short while later, a female doctor injected medication into his IV line.

“This will help speed up your recovery. It may make you feel a little drowsy.”

The medication slowly flowed through the tube.

A few seconds later, the oldest doctor looked at Eric.

“Get some rest.”

Strangely, the other five doctors stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads slightly toward Eric.

The gesture was so brief that Eric wondered whether he had truly seen it.

Less than two minutes later, his eyelids began to feel heavy. The sounds around him gradually faded, and his vision grew increasingly blurred.

A moment later, everything went dark.

⸻

At nearly the same time, Astraea Vellora University released the official results of its investigation.

Every student proven to have been involved received a two-month suspension.

The decision immediately sparked controversy. Many believed the punishment was far too lenient, while others considered it sufficient.

But before the debate could go any further, news about Eric’s case gradually began disappearing from the public eye.

Old articles were taken down.

Discussions on social media began to fade.

Prominent accounts that had previously spoken loudly about the case suddenly moved on to other issues.

Little by little, the public was forced to accept the university’s decision as the end of the matter.

Not because they were truly satisfied, but because they were no longer given a place to keep questioning it.

⸻

The university’s decision did nothing to ease Andreas’s mind.

As far as he was concerned, the case wasn’t over.

The man who had broken Eric’s arm was still walking free, yet everyone was being told to consider the matter resolved.

Andreas had planned to investigate on his own, but his family immediately stopped him.

“Stay out of it. This has nothing to do with you.”

They even made him remain at home all day to prevent him from doing anything that might drag his family into trouble.

⸻

The following afternoon, Andreas’s phone rang.

It was Dominic.

The moment Andreas answered, Dominic’s voice came through the speaker.

“Eric’s gone.”

Andreas fell silent for a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“His room is empty.”

Dominic offered no further explanation. The call ended immediately.

Twenty minutes later, Andreas arrived at the hospital.

The door to Eric’s room stood wide open.

The bed was empty. The sheets had been changed, and not a single one of Eric’s belongings remained.

Andreas turned to Dominic.

“The room next door?”

“I already checked.”

“The ICU?”

“Checked.”

“Upstairs?”

Dominic shook his head.

“Nothing.”

Andreas immediately walked toward the nurses’ station.

“Where was the patient named Eric Brown transferred?”

The nurse quickly checked the computer. Several seconds passed, and her brow gradually furrowed.

“Just a moment…”

Her fingers moved across the keyboard again, but her expression only became more confused.

“Why isn’t it here…?”

She tried accessing the patient records once more.

The result was still blank.

“I’m sorry, but that patient’s name is no longer in the system.”

Andreas froze.

“That’s impossible. I visited him myself last night.”

The nurse slowly shook her head.

“If there’s no record of him, then according to our system, that patient was never registered at this hospital.”

Andreas and Dominic exchanged looks.

They immediately approached the doctor on duty, but every answer they received was the same.

“We don’t know.”

“We weren’t notified of any patient transfer.”

“That patient is no longer the hospital’s responsibility.”

There was no explanation.

No documentation.

Not a single trace left behind.

It was as though someone had erased every sign of Eric Brown’s existence from the hospital.