Arthur nodded grimly, Jasmine's words echoing through his mind like gospel truth.
"I'll try to bring her to you. But first, let me try what you suggested."
Arthur activated his ring, reality folding around him as he shifted back to Earth's merged landscape. The hospital room materialised around him, medical equipment humming with meaningless data.
All of this is useless.
Gates looked up from his position by the door, hope flickering in his eyes. "Any luck?"
"Maybe. I need privacy with Charlotte. Guard the corridor."
Complete isolation. No interruptions.
Gates nodded without question, understanding the gravity in Arthur's tone. The businessman positioned himself outside Charlotte's room like a sentinel.
Arthur approached his sister's bed, studying her pale features with new eyes. Not the face of a cancer victim—something else. Something the medical establishment couldn't comprehend.
Two months of wrong assumptions.
He carefully disconnected the medical equipment, each wire and tube representing failed conventional wisdom. The monitors fell silent as life support systems shut down.
She doesn't need these anymore.
Charlotte's breathing remained steady.
Arthur lifted Charlotte's unconscious body with his strength, carrying her toward the bathroom.
Privacy was essential.
The bathroom door clicked shut behind them. Arthur kept Charlotte levitating in the air, then closed his eyes tightly.
She deserves privacy, even unconscious.
His storage ring responded to mental commands, producing items that represented months of careful accumulation in Armageddon.
Rings that boosted the vitality attribute. Lightweight armour designed for protection without encumbrance.
Start with the foundations.
Arthur's fingers found Charlotte's left hand, slipping the first ring onto her index finger. The Ring of Minor Vitality—Very Rare grade.
Her skin tone shifted subtly, pale undertones gaining the faintest hint of healthy color. Not dramatic, but measurable improvement.
The second ring joined the first—Ring of Enhanced Constitution. Another very rare grade of equipment that increased vitality and intelligence.
Her facial features relaxed, stress lines fading as the equipment worked its magic. The hollow look around her eyes began filling out.
The lightweight armour came next.
Arthur's enhanced perception tracked each incremental improvement. Charlotte's vital signs strengthened with every piece of equipment, her body responding to her increased statistics.
This is what she needed.
Her fingers twitched—the first voluntary movement Arthur had witnessed in nearly two months. Hope surged through his chest like liquid fire.
The final piece was one of his best possessions. An epic-ranked earring that increased mana and vitality.
Arthur placed it gently on Charlotte's ears.
Arthur lifted his sister carefully, her body feeling somehow more solid than before. The equipment had fundamentally altered her physical capabilities, addressing whatever condition the doctors had misdiagnosed.
He carried Charlotte back to her hospital bed, arranging her position with tender care.
Her face looked better—colour returning to cheeks that had been ghostly pale for months. The shadows under her eyes faded as her attributes increased.
Charlotte's hand twitched again, fingers curling slightly as if grasping for consciousness. Her breathing had become strong, steady, the rhythm of someone fighting their way back to awareness.
But Arthur could sense it wasn't enough. The improvements were substantial but incomplete. Whatever force had been draining Charlotte's life remained partially active.
"Charlotte?" Arthur whispered, leaning close to her ear.
Her eyelids fluttered more noticeably.
"I'm here, Charlotte. You're going to be okay....your little brother is with you."
Finally, a promise I might be able to keep.
The equipment had bought them time and improved her condition dramatically. But complete recovery would require Jasmine's checking.
Arthur stepped out of Charlotte's room, his mind already calculating the next phase. The hospital corridor stretched before him, damaged but structurally sound despite the earlier demonic assault.
I need to make sure she is safe...and only one summon could make sure of that...
Arthur raised his hand, and his Primordial Summoning talent took effect immediately.
A dark portal tore through the air beside Arthur, edges crackling with void energy that made the fluorescent lights flicker. The gateway pulsed with otherworldly power before disgorging its passenger.
Aether emerged with curiosity, his massive draconic form somehow barely fitting within the large hospital corridor. Void-black scales reflected light, while his intelligent eyes surveyed their new environment with childlike wonder.
"What is this place?" Aetherion's voice carried genuine fascination as he examined the sterile walls and medical equipment.
"It looks so interesting... I've never been here before! I've never seen something ."
Arthur smiled at his summons' enthusiasm. Even in serious situations, Aetherion maintained the curious nature that made him simultaneously endearing and terrifying.
The void dragon's attention snapped to Arthur immediately, respect overriding curiosity.
"This is my world—the one I was born in, not Armageddon, where we first met," Arthur explained.
"I have a favour to ask you...I need you to protect my sister."
Aetherion's eyes widened with honour and excitement.
"Me? Protect Master's sister? I'm honored!" His voice practically vibrated with enthusiasm.
"Also, can I call her big sister?"
Arthur nodded with genuine warmth. "Of course. She would love to have you as her little brother."
He led Aetherion toward Charlotte's room, and Aether reduced his size to fit in the room.
"I want you to be as vigilant as possible, Aether." Arthur's tone grew serious.
"I've chosen you because you can control space like I do. At the slightest sign of threat—even the smallest movement against you—teleport away immediately and alert me. Understood?"
Aetherion's playful demeanour shifted to deadly focus. "Yes, Master! Don't worry. I will protect her with my life!"
"Good boy." Arthur's smile carried both affection and confidence.
The strongest guardian I can provide.
With Aetherion positioned to guard Charlotte, Arthur's mind turned to the next phase. Jasmine's examination represented their best hope for complete recovery.
The countdown to the next wave of threats continued.
Arthur stepped out of the room, his mind relieved. He had done what he could to save Charlotte for the time being, and he didn't have much else he could do currently.
Her condition has been improved and she was protected by Aether.
Thus, he decided to focus on the matters at hand.
In six minutes, more demons are going to flood in, and more problems were going to be raised.