Breathing in a sigh of relaxation, I look out the window. Over the city of San Blancko, lights and tall buildings, artificial lights from both technology and magic Lanterns, the sun drowning most of it out. Looking at the time, five PM.
In the crevice of the bustling city lies my home at the moment, replacing the gold and blue lanterns was the red light district with its magic red orbs. I honestly thought it looked prettier than the blue, pink, purple, and gold that dyed most of the city.
The rain was pouring down heavily, looking down, I could see the parking lot to my right. A three story rise, symmetrical. A concrete jungle. But that could be said for most of the city.
I told Josue to take Amelia not to long ago, after the doc broke the news to me and Josue, I couldn't say I was shocked or scared. I was indifferent. I never thought I'd live a long life, but giving me a time limit kind of irked me a bit.
Seven years, I have seven years left. Touching the window, feeling the cold beneath my fingers.
If I think about it, I'll be twenty three by that time. She didn't really elaborate how she figured out my bodies conditions, just put a timer on my life.
I asked everyone to leave not to long after, saying I need some time to myself.
Amelia will barely be thirteen, putting my forehead against the glass. Tucking my hair behind my ear and colming it back.
My hair had turned into a greasy mess, tangled and damaged. Picking myself up, I take off my hospital gown and head to the bathroom.
Aileen had removed the IV before she had parted. After I had begged her of course. She's a rather soft girl, since I'm pretty sure that's not really recommended for patients hooked up on it in the first place.
Looking in the mirror I see that my face had went even more gaunt than before, my skin even paler than before. Some peach fuzz forming on my top lip.
Hooking my gown on the door I continue into the walk in shower, turning it on I feel the ice cold water on my skin.
Shivering a bit I adjust and run my hands through my hair.
It's been somewhat eventful, nearly dying, living through that dudes memories, coming back, and then being told I'm dying anyways. It's crazy, I feel like I'm going mad.
What a shit life. Looking up into the shower head, letting the cold water numb my skin.
I can't help but keep revisiting that game. Afterlife, the main character was me, it was definitely me. But so many things were wrong in it. I was alone, and it was just wrong. Blotches and holes keep appearing in my memory of the game. Like an old film where the film itself was being burned.
I just remember how I died, how many different times I could die if I'm being technical. And what the man had settled on to be my best ending as he'd called it.
Thinking harder I feel something snap in my head, and whatever memory I had of the game before the ending had completely vanished.
Tasting iron, I touch my nose. Red crimson covers my fingers. Snorting it in I hock it up and spit out a bloody lump of mucus.
Continuing my shower I hear a knock on the door.
"Are you alright?" A familiar doc's voice rings through the door. "Your heart monitor picked up a bit, and the frequencies from your brain indicate higher level of distress."
Aileen had made her way back, also I didn't know that they monitor vitals like that without a system attachment.
A moment of silence passes before I hear a gasp.
"Oh yeah, um. Knock once if you're ok." She says. "I'm sorry, I forgot."
Chuckling a bit, I make my way to the door knocking once, I let the silence fall.
A moment of silence, before I hear her walk off to another part of the room.
"Alright, I'll be out here." She says from a distance.
Drying myself and putting my robe back on, I exit the bathroom.
Sitting back at her desk, Aileen flips through more notes before going to her computer and typing something.
Making my way to the tablet on my bed I grab it and begin typing.
"Yes doc?" The text to speech asks, heading back to the windowsill, taking a seat, continuing to dry my hair.
"I'm just checking in," she flicks her eyes between me and her computer. "Your bodies condition. It's unique." She says, no longer seeing me.
Thinking back, I was told that a couple of times before due to my lack of aptitude toward any mystical arts.
"I see. Is it the reason I'm dying?" The text to speech says bluntly.
She pauses her work, looking back to me. Her eyes full of pity.
"Yes, it is." She says, making her way toward me. Grabbing my hand, she looks over the skin grafts on my forearms, the healing already in the process, small light scars painted over my skin. "Your friend wouldn't elaborate on what happened to you, but I can tell."
Letting me go, she folds her arms and stares down at me. I feel vulnerable beneath her gaze, wanting to shrivel in a ball, the once kind doe eyed doctor seemed to have vanished, leaving this predator eyed woman here.
"I've seen plenty of people like you." She says, "you were dealt a bad hand, but you have options."
I scoff at her, no sound but she could see my physical recoil at her words. Rolling my eyes I look out the window, not wanting to argue nor be lectured.
"I'm sorry, it not my place." She says, sitting on the other side of the windowsill. "Your body, it's dying because of what you did."
I continue to look outside, this information is kind of pointless. It won't change anything for me, I'm dying.
"You died, actually, you're already dead. Under any other radar, or scope, Magic wise, to divinity, to aura, your body is like a black hole." She says, her tone amazed and in awe of what she was saying. "You're a one of a kind, whatever your body went through, made you a black hole in any mystical products."
I wasn't really understanding what she was saying, I already knew I had no affinity for any of the mystic arts. It's why my people wouldn't let me go through the Tatau process, my lack of connection to our people they called it. I blamed it on my Afakasi blood.
"It's not that you lack it, it's that you are an absence of it. Like a black hole." She says studying me even more. "Magic, and divine healing didn't work on you, it was like shining a light into an infinite void. Pointless."
"I'm glad you find it interesting." My text to speech says, lacking the sarcastic tone I wished to put into it.
"I'm sorry, it's just-" she pauses, looking out the window. "Your blood work, how we found out. Your body is a natural emp. We tried researching it and testing it, but any mana amplified machinery would depower almost immediately." She says, before continuing.
"I blamed it on faulty wiring, as your main physician at the moment. I'm covering the tracks leading to you." Smiling out the window looks back to me. "If wind of you gets out, you won't have an easy life."
"Why? Why are you covering for me?" I type into the text to speech. My eyebrow raised, I look to her and see a gentle smile on her face.
"You remind me of my little brother." She says before a saddened look appears in her eyes. "But I recommend never letting a hospital do blood work on you unless absolutely necessary, and this needs to be kept secret."
She stands from the sill, and walks away. Remaining silent I see her stroll out of the room, leaving me to this empty room.
Rain continues to pelt the window, soft puttering as the night closes in. I walk over to my bed and pull my phone out.
Looking through Eva's text messages, about how she was worried about me. How she regrets everything that happened, that she'll come and see me as soon as she finds out where I am.
Even after everything, I can't block her, she didn't do me any injustice. I knew the risks taking her contract, using me as an escort when she had a partner.
It was foolish of me to catch feelings, and to catch it so hard I wanted to end it all is ridiculous. I wish I had just died, but at least I didn't have to wait that long.
Her boyfriend found out about us, and she chose him over me. I didn't blame her for that, I was just someone to use at the end of the day. It's my job, and at the end of the day, she's just a client.