Adaptive Bio-Restoration Lab: Top Floor

Rows of complex instruments lined the counters: incubators, automated analyzers, and shining glass cabinets filled with vials, reagents, and samples.

There were digital monitors everywhere—some flashing with graphs and data, others showing glowing molecular structures.

Robotic arms moved with mechanical precision inside sealed chambers, transferring liquids between glass tubes.

Every surface was immaculate, every instrument worth more than most houses.

This was not a university teaching lab; this was a Tier-1 research institute where governments and megacorporations quietly funneled billions.

Dozens of scientists in crisp white coats moved with practiced efficiency—some calibrating a mass spectrometer, others reviewing data on wall-sized screens.

Then the main door burst open.

"Come on, guys!" A cheerful voice called from the hallway. "It's Kathy's birthday! We're cutting the cake right now, and she brought those legendary blueberry-lemon muffins."

"If you're late, they'll be gone!"

The word muffins might as well have been magic.

Immediately, the professional scientists turned into a stampede.

"Wait, muffins?!" One shouted, tossing his gloves aside.

"I'm first!" Another yelled, shoving his stool back.

"No, don't leave me behind!"

"Move, move, don't push!"

Within seconds, the entire team had dropped their composure, racing toward the door like children.

One of them even tripped over a stool in his hurry and in less than half a minute, the once-busy lab fell completely silent and empty.

Only the soft hum of machines remained.

Then another door on the opposite side slid open.

Out stepped Luca.

He looked around the room carefully, ensuring no one was left, before striding toward one of the analyzers. He held the blood-filled vial from Esme in his hand, its faint shimmer betraying that it wasn't of human origin.

He found a specialized container—a clean, clear vial marked for biochemical diagnostics—and gently transferred Esme's sample into it.

Then he slotted it into a machine, clicked it shut, and a deep whir began as it started spinning at high speed.

While the centrifuge worked, Luca typed several commands into the connected terminal. Lines of data scrolled rapidly across the screen.

He then leaned back in his chair, watching it process, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"Convenient." He murmured. "I almost forgot how easy things are here. Just feed the machine, and it does everything for you."

He chuckled softly to himself, remembering the old days.

"Twenty years ago, researchers had to do all of this by hand—extract serum manually, add dyes, run every test step by step. Now one button does it all."

"Progress...truly impressive."

He rested his chin on his hand, watching the centrifuge hum steadily.

"I wonder if the humans in the other world would reach this level one day."

A soft ding broke his thoughts.

The machine slowed, stopping at last and the system automatically dispensed reagents and mixed the serum with analytes, flashing a pale blue light.

Data filled the display—composition readings, serum levels, enzyme markers.

Luca rolled his chair forward, eyes narrowing as he read through it. He hit a few keys, and the printer beside him started churning out sheets of paper.

He pulled the stack out as soon as it finished.

And once her scanned through the results, his smirk deepened into satisfaction.

"Just as I thought."

He tapped one finger against a particular column of values.

"Some numbers are a little off—skewed higher or lower than human baselines, probably because it's elven blood from another world with different environmental factors and magic influence"

" But the pattern is unmistakable."

He exhaled, relieved.

"Got exactly what I needed."

He then glanced toward another machine that looked even more fancy and complex, murmuring under his breath.

"Now I should whip up something to give Esme immediate relief. I did promise Lisa, after all."

"A quick nutrient and electrolyte boost plus something to stimulate her muscles should do wonders."

He swiveled his chair toward other apparatus he was looking at and typed in several inputs. He then rolled to the refrigeration unit nearby and opened it, scanning through neatly arranged racks of vials.

"Hmm...here, here, and here."

He plucked three small tubes from the shelf, their labels unreadable but glowing faintly with different colors—one transparent, one blue, one yellow.

He placed them into the machine's open slots, and it absorbed them with a quiet hiss.

The lights inside then changed hue as the device began working, whirring softly, fusing, and mixing the contents with precision. Luca leaned back again, spinning idly in his chair, waiting.

After a few minutes, the machine emitted a final beep. The light turned green and small steel injector—sleek and ready for use—slid out of a compartment.

Luca picked it up, twirling it once in his hand with a satisfied smile. "Perfect."

He stood up, tucking the syringe into his pocket.

But just as he was about to open a portal back to the village—

The door opened.

A woman with glasses entered, holding a small box.

"Just hold on, guys, I'll blow the candles in a second. I think I left my—"

She froze mid-sentence and her eyes widened in disbelief.

There, standing in the middle of the restricted lab, was a tall, striking man she'd never seen before—holding a injector and a stack of papers.

"W-Who are you?!" She stammered, panic in her voice. "How did you—this is a Level 5 lab! You can't just—"

But before she could even reach for the intercom or call for security, Luca turned toward her, smiling lightly.

"Happy Birthday, Kathy." He said casually, raising one hand. "Hope you have a wonderful day."

A glowing portal materialized behind him in an instant. He gave her a brief nod, almost like a polite farewell and stepped through it.

The portal sealed itself shut with a soft hum.

The birthday girl stood there frozen for several seconds, her mouth slightly open, her mind struggling to process what she'd just seen.

Then another researcher poked his head into the room.

"Hey, you coming or what? They're starving for your muffins!"

She blinked, rubbing her eyes. "I...I think I need a vacation. I'm seeing things. Definitely overworked."

"Yeah, a holiday for a birthday gift doesn't sound that bad."

—

Meanwhile, back in the elven village, peace lingered for a few minutes.

Luna and Lulu were playing with Lisa near the bedside, keeping her distracted.

Nyx was wiping Esme's forehead with a damp cloth.

Leona sat quietly, thinking, while Julius paced around anxiously.

Despite his earlier arrogance, he couldn't shake off Luca's confidence.

'What if he actually did it?'

The thought made him clench his jaw.

"Impossible." He muttered to himself. "Completely impossible."

Then—a pulse of energy rippled through the room.

A portal opened once more, and Luca stepped out, perfectly calm, the steel injector glinting faintly in his hand.

Everyone immediately turned to him, their faces lighting up.

"Luca! What did the results say?"

Luna rushed forward.

"Was it really what you thought? Don't tell me it wasn't!"

Lulu clasped her hands together, whispering fervently.

"Please, please, please, please let it be what he thinks! I swear I'll even offer my favorite fruit to the Goddess if it's good!"

Leona and Nyx both stood beside him, their usual composure replaced by raw anticipation.

Luca looked around at all the anxious faces and broke into a wide, genuine smile.

"Good news—very good news."

He held up the lab report triumphantly.

"It's exactly what I suspected. No deviation, no surprises."

Relief washed over the women in a visible wave—shoulders sagging, breaths exhaled, eyes shining.

Luca's smile grew even warmer.

"And that means this ailment is extremely easy to treat. Nothing complicated, nothing dangerous. Not a single life will be lost."

"Every patient in this village will make a full recovery."

Cheers erupted instantly—the tension in the air melted away.

But Julius, his pride wounded, couldn't accept it.

His voice cut through the celebration, sharp and bitter.

"Go on, then." He said coldly. "You make it sound so easy, so obvious. Tell me, oh great Hero—what exactly is this ailment, and what's your miraculous solution?"

For a moment, everyone expected Luca to throw Julius's words right back at him—to smirk, announce the ailment, name the cure, and watch Julius choke on his pride.

But shockingly, Luca didn't.

Instead, his confident expression faltered just slightly.

He scratched the back of his neck, looking...almost sheepish.

"Well." He began slowly. "The thing is...even though I do know the ailment and the solution to it…"

He paused, his eyes darting across the expectant faces surrounding him.

"…I don't think I'm going to tell any of you right now."

The room went dead silent. Everyone blinked in disbelief.

"What?" Luna blurted. "What do you mean, you're not going to tell us?"

Luca sighed softly, lifting his hands in a small, apologetic gesture.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you." He said. "It's just that both the cause and the cure are...let's say, a little controversial. And if I reveal them right now, it'll only cause panic and confusion throughout the village."

He leaned slightly against the table, looking thoughtful.

"If word spreads before I can even implement the solution, people will reject it outright. Fear does that. So, for now, it's better if I keep the details to myself."

"Controversial how?" Nyx frowned, crossing her arms. "Does it mean our food supply is tainted?"

"You did mention something about food and drink before, didn't you?"

Her voice held genuine concern, and Leona's followed quickly after.

"If it's poisoning..." She said firmly. "...then shouldn't we alert everyone immediately? We can't risk others falling ill—"

But Luca shook his head calmly.

"No, no. It's nothing like that." He assured them. "You don't have to worry about poison or contamination. The cause isn't dangerous in that sense. It's more of a…"

He hesitated, searching for the right words.

"…a cultural thing."

"Cultural?" Leona echoed, tilting her head.

"Yes." Luca said, his tone almost playful. "Let's just say that the solution I'm about to apply doesn't quite...align with how things are done here. If I explain it before proving that it works, most people will refuse to even try it."

"So for now, it's better that I let my results speak for themselves. Once everyone's cured and safe, then I'll tell you the details."

Just then, Julius let out a loud, theatrical cough.

"The last refuge of a liar." He said smugly. "You don't actually know, do you? Just admit it, Hero. Spare us the theatrics. You're only delaying the inevitable disappointment."

Isaac, emboldened by his master, nodded vigorously from the corner.

"Y-Yeah! If you really knew, you'd say it! You're just making excuses!"

Before Luca could even respond, Luna's voice cut sharply through the air.

"Enough."

Everyone turned to her as she stepped forward, eyes cold.

"If he says revealing it will cause panic, then I believe him. He has no reason to lie to us—especially not when outsiders are still in the room."

She glanced at the two men pointedly.

"So how about you both keep quiet and let him work?"

Her loyalty rang clear, unwavering and her tone even made Julius unable to reply.

Nyx was also surprised, thinking that she was resembling her mother more and more everyday.

She also smiled thinking about how protective she was over Luca

Little Lisa, however, had an entirely different concern.

She tugged on Luca's sleeve, looking up with big, worried eyes.

"Does that mean...we can't help Mother right now?"

Her voice trembled.

"I-Is she going to stay like this because you can't tell us?"

Luca turned to her and smiled, crouching down so they were eye-level.

"Not at all, little one." He said warmly. "Just because I'm not explaining it doesn't mean I can't fix it."

"In fact..."

He reached out and gently poked her forehead.

"You're going to be the one to save your mother today."

Lisa blinked. "M-Me?"

Luca nodded, standing and lifting her effortlessly into his arms.

"Of course. Who else deserves that honor more than you? You've been the one taking care of her all this time, haven't you?"

Lisa blushed slightly, nodding shyly.

"Yes, but...what can I do?"

Luca walked over to Esme's bedside, carrying her, and pulled out the metallic injector he had created earlier. He placed it gently in Lisa's small hand, wrapping his own over hers to steady it.

"See this?" He said, pointing to the sleek cylinder. "Inside is a magic fluid that will help your mother's body recover. It won't make her completely fine right away—it'll take a few days for her body to regain its full strength—but it'll give her the energy she needs to start healing."

Lisa's eyes flicked between the syringe and her mother.

"But...shouldn't you do it?" She asked hesitantly. "What if I hurt her? I don't want to make her feel pain…"

Luca shook his head gently.

"Don't worry." He said softly. "You won't hurt her. You'll make her better. And besides…" He smiled. "....after everything you've done for her, I think you deserve to be the one who gives her this gift."

Luna came closer, placing a reassuring hand on Lisa's shoulder.

"He's right." She said kindly. "You've already been her little nurse all this time. You can do this."

"Yeah! Show us how it's done, future healer!" Lulu gave a thumbs up.

Lisa looked at them, then at her mother who had a approving look in her eyes, then back at Luca and finally nodded firmly.

"Okay."

Luca smiled approvingly. "That's my girl."

He guided her small hand toward Esme's arm, positioning the injector carefully.

"Right here." He said gently. "All you have to do is press the tip here...and push."

Lisa took a deep breath...and pressed.

With a soft hiss, the auto-injector delivered its payload instantly, flooding Esme's system with concentrated nutrients, vitamins, and stimulant.

Lisa yanked her hands back immediately.

"Did I do it right?! Did it go wrong? I didn't miss, did I? Mother's not reacting—!"

Luca gently pulled her back a step, smiling.

"Just wait a second. You'll see."

But Julius was already sneering.

"Typical." He muttered under his breath. "Another flashy lie. It's only a matter of time before—"

He stopped mid-sentence as something began to happen.

Esme suddenly jerked.

Her pupils quivered, her hands trembling.

For a terrifying moment, everyone froze—Nyx's heart skipped, Luna gasped, and Julius's smirk widened with malicious delight thinking that she was going to die.

But then—

Esme's trembling stopped. Her breathing steadied.

And then—

Her pale lips that were still for an entire week moved slightly…then again...and again.

"S-She's moving!" Lulu shouted in shock. "She's moving again—she's actually moving!"

"Shh!" Luna whispered quickly. "Quiet, she's trying to say something!"

Everyone leaned in. Luca too knelt beside the bed, bringing Lisa closer so she could hear. He gently pressed Lisa's ear near her mother's mouth.

Then, in the faintest whisper, a weak but familiar voice spoke:

"…Little...Katara."

"...My Little Katara."

Hearing her mother calling her with such love, Lisa's eyes went wide.

Her breath hitched.

And then, the tears came.

"Mother!"

She cried, collapsing against her mother's chest.

"You're back! You're really back! I can hear you again!"

She sobbed into her mother's arms, trembling with happiness.

"I-I missed your voice so much! I missed it so much!"

Esme's lips curved into a small, trembling smile.

And despite her weakness, she lifted her hand—slow, shaky—and placed it gently on her daughter's back.

It was the most fragile, most precious gesture in the world.

"Damn it, I'm not crying." Lulu sniffed loudly, muttering. "I'm a warrior who's taken arrows. Warriors don't cry…"

Luna elbowed her lightly, though tears streamed down her own face.

"Yeah, sure...tell that to your eyes."

Leona stood quietly, gaze openly tender.

Seeing the deep, tender love between Esme and Lisa stirred something in her chest.

She glanced—almost unconsciously—at Luna and Lulu, a fleeting wish crossing her mind.

'It would be nice...if we could have that kind of closeness too.'

Luna, at the exact same moment, stole a glance at her mother, thinking the very same thing.

But neither noticed the other's look.

Only Nyx remained apart from the family moment, her sharp eyes fixed on Luca.

Hope—bright, unshakable hope—shone in her gaze.

This single act had proved it beyond doubt.

The Hero truly was going to change everything forever.

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