The Fugitive's Touch

CHAPTER 7 : HEALING

CHAPTER 7 : HEALING

Morning arrived in the cave where Rey and the ten other fugitives were hiding. Sunlight seeped through the cracks in the rocky walls, casting a dim glow on their tired and anxious faces. After two days in the forest, exhaustion and worry had settled over them like a heavy cloud.

Rey sat in the corner of the cave, his back against the cold stone wall. His sharp eyes observed every movement of his men, who were growing restless. They weren’t just hungry—they were on edge. No one knew how long they could stay hidden before the police resumed their pursuit.

The tattooed man, Rey’s trusted companion, finally spoke up.

“We need to find food,” he said. “Our supplies ran out last night. If this continues, we’ll starve.”

Rey gave a slight nod. “Split into two groups. Five will go hunt and gather food. The rest will stay here with me.”

The group wasted no time. Five men set out into the forest, searching for anything edible—whether it was wild game or foraged fruit. Meanwhile, the remaining five stayed behind, sitting around Rey, discussing their next move.

“I know we can’t stay here forever,” the tattooed man said. “We need to find a safer place. But the question is, where?”

Rey stared at the small fire still burning from the night before. His mind worked tirelessly to find a solution. He knew the forest was not a long-term refuge. Aside from the danger of wild animals, they were fugitives—being caught was only a matter of time.

Before they could discuss further, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the cave.

The five men who had gone hunting had returned—but two of them were injured.

One, a thin man with a darkening wound on his leg, collapsed near the entrance. His face was pale, drenched in cold sweat.

“What happened?” Rey asked quickly.

“He… got bitten by a snake,” one of the others answered, helping the man sit up. “I don’t know what kind, but the venom is spreading fast. His leg is going numb.”

Rey narrowed his eyes. Then, he turned to the second injured man, who was clutching his bleeding shoulder.

“I was attacked by a wolf,” he said. “I managed to fight it off, but its claws tore into my shoulder. It stings like hell, and the wound is swelling.”

The atmosphere in the cave grew tense. Everyone knew a venomous snakebite could be fatal without treatment. The same went for a deep wound—out here, infection was just as deadly as any predator.

All eyes turned to Rey.

They said nothing, but their expectations were clear.

Rey looked down at his own fingers. Two days ago, he had healed one of his men’s broken bones with just a touch.

But could his power counteract poison?

There was only one way to find out.

Without a word, Rey knelt in front of the snake-bitten man and placed his hand over the darkened wound. His fingers brushed against the cold skin, and at that moment, something happened.

Heat pulsed from his fingertips, spreading through the man’s body.

The man tensed, biting his lip, but then his expression changed as the blackened area around the wound began to fade. His eyes widened as a strange warmth replaced the numbness that had overtaken his leg.

“Damn… I feel better,” he murmured in disbelief.

Ignoring their astonishment, Rey turned to the man with the wolf-inflicted wound. Blood was still trickling down his shoulder, and the gash was deep.

Without hesitation, Rey pressed his fingers against the wound.

The effect was immediate. The bleeding stopped, torn tissue began knitting back together, and within seconds, the injury vanished as if it had never existed.

The man rolled his shoulder, testing it. His face, once twisted in pain, now reflected pure shock.

“This… this is unbelievable!” he exclaimed.

The other fugitives stared in stunned silence. They had just witnessed something that defied reality.

Rey, however, remained silent. Something felt strange within him—something he couldn’t quite explain.

An unfamiliar sensation coursed through his mind, like an invisible current carrying thoughts that weren’t his own.

Suddenly, he felt a slight shift in himself.

He looked at the man he had just healed, and without thinking, he repeated words the man had spoken before.

“This forest is dangerous… we need to be more careful.”

Rey’s voice sounded different—there was a trace of fear that wasn’t his own.

He fell silent.

Then, he turned to the man who had been bitten by the snake.

As Rey locked eyes with him, his mind was flooded with foreign memories—memories of a life on the streets, of stealing food to survive, of constantly running from stronger men.

Rey took a deep breath.

So this was the side effect…

Every time he healed someone, a part of their personality seeped into him.

He had no idea how much this would affect him in the long run. But one thing was certain—he had to be careful about using this power.

After a long silence, Rey finally spoke.

“We can’t stay in this forest any longer,” he said, his voice firm. “Aside from wild animals, the police could show up at any time. We need to find a safer place before they track us down.”

The tattooed man nodded in agreement.

“Do you have any idea where we should go?” he asked.

Rey remained quiet, weighing their options.

He knew one thing—they had to leave the forest before it was too late.

Beyond these trees, a world awaited them. A world full of danger, mystery, and challenges they had yet to face.

But for now, survival was all that mattered.

They had to move.

The question was—where?

Rey remained deep in thought. “No matter where we go—the forest, the city, a cave, a village—danger will always follow. The truth is, I and these men are fugitives. That is the real danger. Unless… we find a way to change that.”

Rey turned his gaze to the bald man and thought to himself, “This bald guy… I can read his thoughts because I touched him when he broke his bone. But he’s not actually bald?!”

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