The Ascent of Jeffery Flamel; Restoring Alchemy's Legacy

CHAPTER 5

“You’re awake! How do you feel?” Rita clapped her hands together in relief. She walked over to him, carefully scrutinizing his body as if she were examining a work of art.

“I’m sorry... Who are you?” Jeffery asked nervously, sitting up on the bed.

“Call me Rita.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “And thank me for saving your life, young man. You passed out on the streets from a gunshot wound yesterday. I was the one who brought you to the hospital.”

“Since I saved your life, you owe me a favor. You can repay it by answering my questions,” Rita said, folding her arms. “When I rescued you, you had a severe gunshot wound on your back. But strangely, after taking you to the hospital, the doctors informed me that nothing was wrong with you. The wounds even disappeared. Why is that so? It’s unbelievable!”

Jeffery furrowed his brows, sensing a strange yet powerful force swirling within him. Not only that, he began to feel a natural affinity with the elements around him.

It felt as though he could manipulate and control them effortlessly, with just a wave of his hand. The sensation was truly astonishing.

“It isn’t a dream. It’s... real,” Jeffery murmured, lost in thought, focusing on the energy coursing through him.

“I save you, yet you zone out on me? You’re rude!” Rita pouted in displeasure.

Jeffery snapped out of his thoughts, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. “Thank you so much for saving me, Rita. My name is Jeffery Flamel.”

Rita chuckled as he awkwardly scratched his neck. She found him somewhat amusing, even endearing.

Suddenly, Rita groaned in pain, crouching down and clutching her chest. She trembled, and Jeffery rushed toward her in alarm.

At that moment, a man in a doctor’s coat entered, holding a glass of water and a few pills.

“Miss, I would advise you to take your medicine now,” the doctor urged.

“I will. Thank you,” Rita said weakly, enduring the pain as she took the pills and water from his hand.

Jeffery’s gaze lingered on her pale, sickly face. The contrast between her current state and the poised, exquisite woman who had confronted him earlier was striking.

“Rita, are you alright?” he asked, his concern evident.

“It’s nothing new,” Rita replied, forcing a smile. “I have a condition—angina, or so they call it. The doctors can’t explain why I suffer from it. They’ve run every test, tried every medicine, but nothing works. These pills are my only relief.”

Jeffery felt a deep sympathy for the woman who had saved him. He wanted to help her when, all of a sudden, a strange rush of knowledge flooded his mind.

Alchemical theories, symbols, and techniques surfaced, illuminating possibilities he had never considered. Among them were methods to heal ailments and rebalance energies within the human body.

“It’s all theory. I’ve never attempted anything like this. What if I fail? Or make things worse?” he thought, hesitating as he watched her finish the pills.

Her complexion was still pale. Seeing this, he mustered his courage and made a decision.

“Rita,” he said softly, stepping closer. “I… might be able to cure your disease.”

Her brows furrowed. “Help? What do you mean?”

Rita was taken aback by his confidence. When he was unconscious, she had instructed her subordinates to investigate him.

The information they uncovered painted him as the son-in-law of a small family and a disgraced vet with a record of animal abuse.

“It’s not ordinary angina,” Rita said, struggling to speak. “Even the world’s top medical practitioners couldn’t diagnose the cause, let alone find a cure. Simply put, it’s incurable. I can only rely on painkillers to ease the pain. What gives you the confidence to say you can cure me?”

“I won’t treat it using medical means,” Jeffery explained. “It’s a bit difficult to explain, but let me try.”

Rita furrowed her brows, considering his words carefully.

She recalled how Jeffery’s body had miraculously healed itself, the traces of gunshot wounds vanishing. She began to wonder whether this man could truly help her.

“What is your problem?” the doctor interjected. “Are you seriously joking with us? The audacity to claim you can heal the mistress of her ailments! You haven’t even performed any proper medical examination on her!”

Jeffery’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment. “Just trust me. I know I can fix her.”

“Trust is earned by professionals in this craft,” the doctor retorted, glaring at him. “And from the looks of things, you know nothing about this ailment. I think you just want to get closer to the mistress by pretending to be a doctor!”

The doctor’s words stung, but Jeffery knew his methods wouldn’t require an examination. Besides, exposing his newfound alchemical knowledge wouldn’t be wise.

“Enough,” Rita said sharply. “Doctor, I’ll decide for myself. You don’t need to speak on my behalf.”

She turned to Jeffery. “You have one chance. If it works, you’ll be rewarded. If it doesn’t, you’ll wish you never lied to me.”

Jeffery gulped and nodded.

The doctor opened his mouth to protest, but Rita silenced him with a raised hand. “You’ve made your stance clear. Now step back.”

Reluctantly, the doctor complied, though his glare lingered on Jeffery.

Taking a deep breath, Jeffery turned to Rita. “For this to work,” he began, his voice steady despite the weight of the moment, “I’ll need you to lie down and… remove your top. I’ll place my hands near your heart and begin the treatment.”

Subconsciously, his gaze fell on Rita’s figure, and he quickly averted his eyes, his cheeks heating to a bright red.