Chapter 8 - The True Path

  Sarah was still trying to process everything she’d heard. Her head was spinning, her mind struggling to make sense of it all. But before she could gather her thoughts, Patient 17 spoke up.

  “Sorry about what happened before,” he said, his voice low but apologetic. “I had to do it. It was for your own good.

  Everything was planned. Robert and the thieves, they weren’t part of the plan. But they helped in your awakening.”

  Sarah looked at him, confused. “Awakening?”

  Patient 17 nodded. “We thought it might be hard for you, but you’ve woken up faster than we expected.”

  Before Sarah could respond, Patient 17’s wristwatch beeped. He glanced at it quickly.

  “Alright,” he said, standing up. “I have to go.”

  “Wait!” Sarah called after him, but he was already leaving.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Patient 17 said patting Sarah's shoulder. “Stay here.”

  Once he was gone, the room fell silent. Sarah didn’t know what to think. Her mind was still reeling from the revelation that all of this was planned. Her life, her job, everything. It had all been orchestrated by people she didn’t even know existed.

  Then Patient 15, who had been quietly watching her, spoke up.

  “Now, I’m going to explain everything,” she said, her voice steady and calm. “I’ll tell you what awakened inside you, and what we, the patients, are.”

  Sarah was still processing everything, but she nodded slowly. “I’m listening.”

  Patient 15 stood and walked over to the door. She unlocked it with a smooth motion, her eyes never leaving Sarah’s.

  “Before we start,” she said, “look outside for a second.”

  Sarah felt a strange sense of unease. “What do you mean?”

  “Just look.”

  Patient 15 stepped aside, allowing Sarah to stand. Slowly, Sarah walked toward the door and pushed it open. As she stepped outside, her eyes widened.

  The room was perched atop the roof of a large building one that looked abandoned, forgotten. It was dark, the only light coming from a few scattered streetlamps below.

  But that wasn’t what made Sarah’s heart race. It was the creatures. Black, shapeless forms moved in the shadows some large, others small lurking in the corners, watching her.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The air felt heavy with their presence.

  “What... what are they?” Sarah whispered, her voice shaking.

  “They’re the leeches,” Patient 15 explained, her tone oddly calm. “You can see them now because you've awakened. They're always here, lurking, waiting. They need a host either to take power from them or to merge with another leech to create a bigger monster.”

  Sarah turned toward her, the confusion on her face clear. “A leech? A monster?”

  Patient 15 nodded. “The leeches were created from a human. An experiment gone wrong. It is said that The research wemt wrong and resulted in the creation of a calamity, The Mother leech. That’s when the first transformation happened. From there, it became what we call the biggest, strongest one. It’s so powerful that even our strongest can’t fight it head-on.”

  She paused for a moment, letting the weight of her words settle. “That’s where you come in.”

  “Me?” Sarah asked, her confusion growing. “Why me?”

  Patient 15 gave a soft, sad smile. “You’re special. Just like our king. We call him Patient Zero. He’s missing now. He went on a mission to find answers 15 years ago. We’ve been waiting for him to return, but he hasn’t.”

  Sarah felt a wave of disbelief wash over her. “I don’t understand. You’re saying I’m supposed to be like him?”

  Patient 15 nodded. “Exactly. You’re a Blessed One. Inside you, there’s a power, just like us, The Patients. And that power is connected to the leeches, But both you and our king are quite different, And you still don’t fully understand what it means to be a Blessed One. You will, soon enough.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I don’t understand any of this. What is happening to me? Why now?”

  “Because,” Patient 15 said, her voice steady, “your awakening started when that leech found you. When your power awakened, it wasn’t just a coincidence. The pain, the confusion, it all led to this moment.”

  She sighed, and Sarah could tell that this wasn’t easy for her. “Let me explain. I was just like you. My parents... they died when I was young. I was trapped in my house, alone. I was locked in, unable to leave. Then one day, Our King, Patients zero he broke through. He saved me.”

  Sarah stared at her, still trying to understand.

  Patient 15 continued, “When he saved me, I started feeling the pain. The same pain you’ve felt. It’s the awakening. Our powers are connected to what we love most. For me, it was ice. Snow. The cold. It was what defined me.”

  She paused, a faraway look in her eyes. “My powers are tied to that. But every time I use them, there’s a risk. If I use them for too long, I get hurt. I’ve been lucky so far.”

  Sarah’s mind was spinning. “So, what does this have to do with me?”

  Patient 15 stepped closer, her eyes serious. “The leeches, the powers... it all comes from something. Something ancient. The Mother Leech created everything. And the power inside you... it’s a weapon. But it’s not fully developed yet.”

  Sarah’s breath hitched. “What do you mean?”

  “We need to train you. We need to help you control your power. If we don’t, you could end up like the others. The leeches will consume you.”

  Sarah blinked, her throat tight. "What do you mean?" Her voice wavered. "Train me? For what? And what about my daily life? My job? Everything I've been working for?" She struggled to make sense of the whirlwind of events.

  Patient 15 leaned forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. "Forget about everything for now. Right now, you have met your true path. You were destined from the day you were born to become a patient and a special one at that." Her voice softened, almost reassuring.

  "But don't worry. We’ll help you with everything. You won’t be alone in this."

  Sarah's heart raced. Her head was spinning. "But... how do I train? How do I control this power? What if I hurt someone again?"

  "You won't hurt anyone," Patient 15 replied firmly. "But you must understand, if we don't help you control your power, you could end up like the others the ones the leeches consume. You could lose yourself entirely."

  Sarah's mind went blank. "The leeches... are they real? Are they what I saw earlier?"

  "Yes," Patient 15 said, nodding slowly. "The leeches are real. And they're not something you can ignore. They feed on the energy of those who awaken those who hold powers like yours. If you don't learn to control it, you could become a target."

  Sarah looked away, her stomach churning. "But I have a life... I have a job. What will happen to it? To me?"

  "You are no longer the person you once were," Patient 15 said gently. "You are no longer bound by those things. You were chosen, Sarah. This path is yours now. Everything else will fall into place, but you must trust us."

  She paused for a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Your training begins now. And once you're ready, you’ll need to go to the headquarters and sign that you are a new patient."

  Sarah blinked, unable to process the sudden shift in her reality. "Headquarters? What does that mean? Why do I have to sign something?"

  "It’s part of the process," Patient 15 explained. "You are part of something much larger now. This is the beginning of your journey. And the sooner you accept it, the sooner we can help you."

  Sarah’s mind raced. She felt as if the world around her had just shifted entirely. There was no going back now.

  "I don’t know if I’m ready for this," she whispered, more to herself than to Patient 15.

  "None of us are," Patient 15 said, her tone soft but filled with an undeniable certainty. "But you will be. We will guide you. And you'll learn everything you need to know, step by step. For now, you need to go to the headquarters and complete your registration. It’s time to embrace what you were always meant to be."