Beyond the Rift

The old man's hands trembled as he let out a shaky breath, his eyes red with guilt. "I'll quit. I swear on my life. I never knew my smoking was hurting her… If I'd known, I would've stopped years ago." His voice cracked as he clutched his granddaughter's frail hand. "Please… just save her."

Haruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Since we don't have anything to operate with, we can't go through with surgery." He paused, glancing at the unconscious girl. "But just in case, we'll have her stay here for a day or two. We'll try to get her better with medicine, but you need to understand—this isn't a permanent fix. If her condition worsens, we won't be able to do much without proper tools."

The old man swallowed hard, his weathered fingers gripping his knees as if bracing himself. "So… there's still hope?" His voice was barely above a whisper, filled with desperate uncertainty.

Mai, who had been silently observing, nodded, her voice steady yet soothing. "She's stable for now. We've given her medicine to keep her asleep for a while. Until then, we'll use Wind Magic to clear out as much of the smoke from her lungs as possible. That should at least help her breathe a little easier."

Haruto crossed his arms, shifting his weight slightly. "But again—you should go home. It's really late, and you need rest too. Come back tomorrow when the shop opens up at…" He turned his head toward Mai.

"7 AM," she answered immediately.

The old man hesitated, glancing between them and his granddaughter. His wrinkled hands clenched and unclenched as he wrestled with his emotions. He looked at the child, her tiny chest rising and falling weakly, her breath still uneven despite the medicine.

"I… I don't want to leave her alone," he murmured. "What if she wakes up and gets scared?"

Mai's expression softened. "I promise we'll be right here if she does. She's in safe hands."

Haruto, however, was more blunt. "You staying here won't help her. You look exhausted, and if you collapse, you'll just make things harder for everyone." His tone wasn't unkind, but it was firm. "If you really want to help her, get some rest and be here early tomorrow. That way, you'll be in a better state to support her when she wakes up."

The old man's lips pressed into a thin line as he exhaled shakily. "You're right… I'll go home." He ran a trembling hand over his face, trying to compose himself. "But… please… take care of her."

"We will," Mai reassured him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Finally, after one last reluctant glance at his granddaughter, the old man turned and walked toward the door. His footsteps were slow and heavy, as if the weight of his regret dragged behind him.

As soon as the door shut behind him, the air in the room shifted. The urgency from before hadn't disappeared, but a strange silence settled between Haruto and Mai.

Mai folded her arms, fixing Haruto with a sharp stare. "Alright. Now that he's gone—since when do you know about medicine and surgery?"

Haruto stiffened for a fraction of a second before clicking his tongue and looking away. "It's… complicated."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "Complicated?"

"Yeah." Haruto exhaled. "I just know some things, alright? We don't have time to talk about it—"

"Oh, we have time." Mai stepped closer, her arms still crossed. "You sounded like a professional just now. That's not something someone just randomly 'knows.'" She studied his face, her sharp eyes searching for an answer he clearly didn't want to give.

Haruto clicked his tongue again, turning away from her intense gaze. "Tch. Does it matter?" He gestured toward the unconscious girl. "She's what matters right now. We have work to do."

Mai narrowed her eyes but didn't push further. "Fine. But we're talking about this later."

Haruto ignored her and moved to the bedside, kneeling next to the girl. He placed his palm gently on her chest, feeling the faint rise and fall of her breath. It was still too shallow.

Mai knelt beside him and raised her hands, a soft breeze swirling around her fingertips. "Let's begin," she murmured.

A faint blue glow enveloped her hands as the wind picked up, forming a gentle vortex around the girl's small frame. Haruto added his own magic, syncing his energy with Mai's. The wind slipped into the girl's lungs, weaving through her body like invisible threads, seeking out the toxic remnants of secondhand smoke.

Mai frowned as she concentrated. "It's thick. The damage is deeper than I expected."

Haruto gritted his teeth. "We'll have to be careful. If we push too hard, we might weaken her even more."

For the next several minutes, they worked in complete silence, their magic gradually coaxing out the dark, heavy air that clung to the girl's lungs. The more they pulled out, the lighter her breathing became. A faint flush returned to her pale cheeks.

Mai exhaled, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "That's the best we can do for now. Any more, and her body won't be able to handle it."

Haruto nodded in agreement. "She should be able to breathe easier when she wakes up, but this is just a temporary fix."

Mai glanced at the child's peaceful face, then at Haruto. "We need proper medical tools. If we're serious about treating her, we'll have to find some."

Haruto sighed. "Easier said than done. It's not like there's a hospital nearby."

Mai tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe not, but there are traveling merchants who deal in medical supplies. I might know someone who could help."

Haruto raised an eyebrow. "You have connections like that?"

Mai smirked. "I run a shop, remember? I get all kinds of customers."

Haruto looked at her for a long moment before shaking his head with a small chuckle. "You never fail to surprise me."

Mai flipped her hair dramatically. "Of course not. I'm full of surprises."

Haruto rolled his eyes. "Right."

A soft sigh came from the bed. Both of them immediately turned their attention back to the girl. She hadn't woken up, but her breathing was noticeably steadier.

Mai stood up, stretching her arms. "We should get some rest too. Tomorrow's going to be busy."

Haruto yawned, suddenly realizing how drained he was. "Yeah, you're right."

Mai turned to him with a smirk. "So, are you going to sleep in my bed, or should I find you a blanket for the floor?"

Haruto choked. "The floor. Definitely the floor."

Mai laughed. "Suit yourself."

With the tension slightly lifted, the two settled in for the night.