Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 256 Brewing

"How… long has she been like that?"

"Since the incident, since you left."

Emilia was put in a private room, which was actually just right beside Katarina's office so she could quickly check on her whenever she needed and wanted to. Rhys and Katarina were already inside the room for an entire minute, and yet Emilia did not really acknowledge them.

She was, however, talking to someone in the room — a small doll, sitting on the chair right beside her bed.

"No, Rhys. Stop it," Emilia let out a small giggle as she lightly slapped the doll, "I told you not to do that, you're so annoying. Mom's not here anymore, you're the one that's supposed to take care of me — so why is it you're like the younger one? S… stop it, I said stop it. Someone might see us!"

"She's even worse than I thought, Rhys," Katarina's voice was weak as she watched Emilia interact with the doll, "Even worse than you. From what I've gathered, her mind has already been like that for years — right after your mom was killed."

"But she seemed… so normal," Rhys closed his eyes.

"On the surface," Katarina let out a short but very deep sigh as she shook her head, "That's because she created a world of her own to cope with it. She created you, her brother. Inside the secluded part of her mind, you've always been living there, beside her — and you come out whenever she's having an episode…

…which right now, she can't get out of ever since the incident."

"How do we get her out, then?"

"We can't," Katarina shook her head, "It's just a battle she has to fight herself — and I don't think she really wants to win. In her mind, there's a brother that has always taken care of her and loves her."

"...This is my fault," Rhys took in a deep breath as he looked at his sister, "I really should have been there for her."

"You were a child who went through a traumatic experience, just like her."

"Not like her," Rhys quickly shook his head, "I should have been there."

"I don't think that would have turned out better," Katarina argued, "If anything, it might have been even more catastrophic to have the two of you together — you look okay, Rhys. But you should remember how you were after the incident, you would have been bad for each other."

"Can… I try talking to her?" Rhys took a step forward.

"Of course," while Katarina took a step back, "Just play along with her and don't mention anything you know she's not going to know. Remember, you live a completely different life in her mind. Shatter that, and you shatter her mind even further."

"Hm," Rhys nodded as a smile quickly formed on his face, "Hey, Chloe."

"Chloe…?" Emilia's eyes quickly strayed away from the doll as she immediately looked at Rhys, "I told you not to call me by that name, Rhys. Agh, seriously. Why do you never listen to me?"

"Well…" Rhys sat on the bed beside Emilia, "...I'll listen to you now. How are you?"

"...Why are you being so weird?" Emilia raised an eyebrow, "Stop changing the topic."

"Oh, I forgot what we were talking about," Rhys softly chuckled.

"Ack! And this is you listening!? I swear…"

Rhys then spent more than an hour talking to Emilia, and when he left, she just went straight to talking to the doll almost seamlessly. Rhys initially thought that maybe his presence would change something, but it did absolutely nothing at all.

The only thing Rhys could really do was kiss Emilia on the forehead, which she wholeheartedly accepted with her feet wiggling.

"When you said earlier that she already knows I'm in the hospital—"

"I meant for her, you've always been here."

And as soon as they stepped out of the room, the smile on Rhys's face instantly faded away.

"Look, Rhys — it's not your fault," Katarina gently held Rhys's cheeks, "It's not your fault. She'll wake up from this, she just needs time."

"...Do I really want to wake her up?" Rhys breathed out as he looked Katarina in the eyes, "She's living in a better world, a world where I took care of her. I'm never going to be able to do anything close to that…

…she'll just be disappointed."

"Not if you step up," Katarina smiled, "There is good in you, Rhys. Maybe this time, the two of you could really lift each other up."

"Is… there any other way to wake her up from this?" Rhys asked.

"..." Katarina returned Rhys's gaze for a few seconds before letting out a long and very deep sigh.

"There is…?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he saw the look on Katarina's face.

"I could try to heal her mind," Katarina closed her eyes, "But I can do more harm than good since my abilities are not strong enough, and I'm not specialized enough to treat her mind."

"You are."

"No, Rhys," Katarina forced out a chuckle as she leaned away from Rhys, "It's not about will or determination, trust me — I have more than enough for that for your sister. I lack the skills…

…but I know someone who could do it — Dr. Dhani Raj."

"...Can we reach him?"

"Considering your status, you might," Katarina sighed.

"But…?"

"No one has seen him in public ever since his wife was assassinated 10 years ago. He's a recluse."

"Dr. Dhani Raj," Rhys placed his hand on his chin, "Where have I heard that name before?"

"He's the 8th Strongest Explorer in the world, and he was the master of the No. 1 guild 40 years ago," Katarina nodded several times, "The only recorded guild with no deaths or injury from its inception and end. He's also called the Messiah since he is rumored to even resurrect the dead, of course, it was proven it wasn't true — but still."

"You… seem to know a lot about him."

"Are you kidding? Every doctor knows him," Katarina let out a large breath while shaking her head, "I have all of his books and read them four times over. He's a legend."

"Maybe Maria knows where he is," Rhys nodded, "I'm going to find him. I think it would be best if you were there once we meet him."

"Yeah, no," Katarina quickly shook her head with an awkward chuckle, "I think it would be best for me to be as far away as possible."

"...I thought you'd want to meet him? And you can explain what happened to Emi too."

"...No," Katarina shook her head again, "Rhys…

…I'm the one who killed his wife."

"...Oh."

"Hm…" Katarina closed her eyes, "...It was a mission. His wife was… well… evil and the government wanted to—"

"It's fine," Rhys placed his hand on Katarina's shoulder, "You don't really need to tell me about it."

"Okay," Katarina let out a sigh of relief.

"But, it's not like he knows, right?" Rhys then gently caressed Katarina's cheek, "And he doesn't need to know."

"...I still don't think it's a good idea," Katarina shook her head, "It—"

[Paging Dr. Lopez, we need you in Station 5.]

"And that's my cue to leave," Rhys then let out a small chuckle as he leaned away from Katarina, "I'll see you back at home, okay?"

"Wait—Let's talk more about this at home!"

"Oh, we're not going to do much talking, Kat."

"You—don't say that in public!" Katarina quickly looked at the people in the hallway, only to see some of the nurses covering their mouths, "He…

…he doesn't mean anything sexual by that!"

***

Back in the Underworld Corps' Surface base, General Banner and former Commander Ayesha were currently in a meeting—well, former former Commander Ayesha, since she was reinstated by the government just moments ago.

"So, what? Just because you need me again you just suddenly give me my old position back?"

"I gave it to you, I took it, and I can give it away."

General Banner's scoff could be heard even from outside their tent. And of course, Rhys's former colleagues, James and Erik, were once again eavesdropping outside.

"And I thought you retired?" Ayesha's feet were over the desk, completely showing her disregard for her father, "Why are you suddenly everywhere again?"

"Things have changed," General Banner, however, did not seem to have his usual energy, and did not bicker at all with Ayesha, "We needed you back."

"And what's so important that you literally had to fly me straight here?" Ayesha scoffed and shook her head as she finally removed her feet from the desk.

As for General Banner, he stood up and just placed his hands behind his back.

"Ayesha, I would like to introduce you to Captain Olga Ivanovna."

"What…?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow as she looked at the entrance of the tent, only to see a Noble soldier, wearing a completely different uniform, enter with her hand in a salute.

"She leads the Underworld Corps in Russea."

"Huh…

…So, how serious is the problem?"

"Catastrophic. Also…

…we will need your boy."