บท 19: CHAPTER 19

Layla's POV

Today started as one of those days you don't expect much from—a regular university day filled with lectures, idle chatter, and assignments. But it turned out quite differently.

My two best friends convinced me to attend a home party later that evening. It was no ordinary gathering; the host was a tycoon's son. Money wasn't an issue, and the extravagance showed.

The party itself was dazzling. Expensive decor, catering that rivaled high-end restaurants, and music that pulsed through the night.

I enjoyed myself, but not for the reasons you'd think. Amidst the noise and the grandeur, I met someone—a boy named Jason. Not just any boy, though.

He was the kind of person you don't meet every day. Calm, with an infectious smile, and devastatingly handsome.

For the first time in ages, I felt something stir. My friends teased me endlessly about how no guy ever seemed to meet my impossibly high standards. "You'll be single forever," they'd laugh.

I'd always brush it off because deep down, I knew they were half right. No one could ever compare to Watts—my brother, my hero, my measure of greatness in a person. But Jason? He was different.

Hardworking, sharp-minded, and analytical, Jason seemed to tick every box. He was in his final year at university and already juggling an internship with remarkable poise.

My friends were thrilled, more excited than I was, because they'd seen me dismiss every other boy with a scoff.

The party wound down earlier than I expected, and by 8:30 PM, I was already home. It was quiet. Too quiet.

The house was locked, and Aunt Liz wasn't back yet. That alone was odd; she was always home by 8, without fail.

I told myself not to overthink it. Maybe she had plans. People can have lives, after all. I took a long bath, cooked dinner, and waited. As the hours dragged on, my unease grew.

By 10 PM, I was calling her phone. No answer. The line wasn't even going through.

Trying not to panic, I forced myself to eat and even put her portion in the microwave, as though she'd walk through the door any moment.

Midnight came, and she was still nowhere to be found. I distracted myself by chatting with my friends, but the gnawing worry was impossible to ignore.

By 2 AM, pacing the living room like a trapped animal, my phone rang. The number was unknown.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice taut with nerves.

"Is this Layla I'm speaking with?" came a woman's voice—calm, serious, and professional.

"Yes, this is Layla. Who's this?"

"Your aunt, Elizabeth, was in a serious accident," the woman explained. "She's at Crawford Hospital. She's just regained consciousness but will need your help."

The words felt like a punch to the gut. Accident? Hospital? My mind spun. Aunt Liz was my anchor, the steady force in my life since I could remember. And now... this?

"But—how—what happened?" My voice cracked as I tried to piece together the incomprehensible.

"She asked specifically that you not inform your brother until she's better," the woman added, her tone softening slightly.

Of course she would say that. Even on a hospital bed, Aunt Liz was selfless, always thinking of others. Still, her request left me in a dilemma. Watts would kill me if he found out I didn't tell him. But if I went against her wishes, I'd feel like I betrayed her.

I didn't have time to agonize over it. Grabbing my bag, I hailed a cab. The city, usually comforting in its constant hum, now felt like an unfeeling labyrinth as I rushed to Crawford Hospital.

..............................

Watts' POV

I was deep in my Time Dilation Mindscape, or TDM for short—a strange, surreal place where time moved so slowly that months in here equated to mere minutes in the real world.

Picture this: 100 versions of myself, each reading, testing, and experimenting with concepts simultaneously. It was efficient but deeply unsettling. Watching countless copies of yourself work in eerie synchronicity?

It gave me the creeps.

Right now, we were immersed in studying runes. Ancient, powerful symbols that interacted with the very fabric of reality.

The knowledge was extraordinary, like a programming language for the universe itself. With runes, you could repair objects, manipulate elements, or even bend the laws of physics.

To manifest a rune, you had to visualize it perfectly, supply energy, and watch as it materialized in the air.

Mine glowed with an electric blue hue, reflecting the energy unique to me. These weren't just any runes.

They operated on laws that transcended ordinary understanding.

The knowledge came with a catch: using runes required a minimum of a Level 1 existence.

Essentially, I wasn't supposed to be able to use them yet. But the Blessing of the Universe I'd received included something extraordinary—the Rune of Alcavith.

Painful as hell, the rune had etched itself into my back, sprawling across my shoulders in intricate, glowing patterns.

It allowed me to bypass restrictions, using runes far beyond my current level while also drastically reducing the energy required to activate them.

The system warned me to keep this rune hidden. Apparently, it was something even gods would covet. I didn't fully grasp its significance, but its power was undeniable.

As I was lost in thought, testing a new sequence of runes, my phone rang in the real world. Snapping out of the Mindscape, I glanced at the caller ID. It was Layla. Strange. She rarely called me, let alone at this hour.

"Layla? What's wrong?" I asked, already on edge.

Her voice trembled on the other end. "Brother, Aunt Liz... she's in the hospital. She had an accident. They're saying she might never walk or write again."

The words hit me like a freight train. My mind blanked, the runes and the Mindscape forgotten. Aunt Liz, the woman who raised us, was in the hospital? The thought was incomprehensible.

"Where are you?" I demanded, already pulling on a jacket.

"I'm at Crawford Hospital," she whispered. "Brother... what do we do?"

Her voice, small and unsure, broke something inside me. Layla was strong in her own way, but in moments like this, she was just my little sister, lost and frightened.

"I'm coming," I said, my voice hardening with resolve. "Stay with her. I'll be there soon."

The phone call ended, and with it, any sense of calm I had left. The world felt like it was tilting off its axis. Aunt Liz was the glue that held our lives together.

Whatever it took, I would fix this.