Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-40. Life has its ways

[Xanthea]

I was about to step beyond the university campus, but I took back my step.

My heart raced, breath quickened, filling my lungs with icy breaths. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

Gritting my teeth, I shut my eyes, hating myself a little more.

I am really a coward-

"Good girl..."

With a sharp inhale, I opened my eyes. I turned around, standing face to face with Raven.

I dared maintain eye contact with him as he stepped closer to me.

"Is a cat who you just met so important that you contemplated leaving the campus, even if it was for a second? You thought of defying me for a useless cat-"

"She is not useless!" I blurted out those words, and I wasn't sorry about it.

Raven's eyes bore into mine, their intensity growing as he closed the distance between us. The fear inside me was screaming at me to avert my eyes and lower my gaze, but there was something else that made me hold his gaze just as profoundly.

"Someone's getting brave."

"Who?" Once again, I had spoken without thinking things through. There was a bubbling rage in my chest.

I knit my brows when Raven smiled. I wasn't expecting this reaction from him.

"That cat sure taught you to sulk better," he chuckled. "So you really wanna help her? But a healer who can't heal is useless according to me and the standards of the Infernal pack."

"And I think she just needs to control her powers, and then she'll be one of the strongest healers. We... we just need a way to teach her, show her how it's done," I said.

His gaze shifted to the forest, eyes scanning the dense foliage.

"Now you have me in a chokehold of curiosity, little omega. Mind enlightening me about how you will 'teach' her to control her powers?"

He had a document rolled in his fist. Crossing his arms across his chest, he studied me as I remained silent. I didn't have an answer... yet.

"Overhealing is the most complicated condition in healers and their healing partners. Rare, but complicated. Most never gain control over their powers. That is why they are considered... useless. Overhealing can be tricky and more dangerous than underhealing. Like you saw, it turns normal cells into tumors, which ultimately leads to the death of those cells once the power source is withdrawn. Such tumors are malignant, which means they spread. If cells die, the organism dies. Simple mathematical biology. And if a healer can't control their powers, no one can make them."

"There's gonna be something we could do. There must be cases where someone controlled overhealing, right?"

"Sure. So what was your brilliant mind thinking? How were you going to 'help' her?"

"The plants... I was thinking..."

"Show me," he said.

I looked at him, confused.

"Go help that cat. I allow you to leave the campus, little omega. Show me what you can do," he said.

"Can I really-wa-uh!"

Raven scooped me off my feet. My hands snaked around his neck while he cradled me against his chest with his one arm under my knees. The next few seconds, Raven ran across the forest at a speed that even his bike couldn't match. The trees transformed into a mosaic of fleeting hues - green, black, and gray.

He put me to my feet. The twigs cracked, and the grass crunched beneath my sneakers.

It didn't take me long to find where Zosha was. A tree and plants close to it had grown considerably larger than the rest.

I followed Zosha's whimpers. Raven just watched from behind, leaning against the bark of a tree.

trudged closer to Zosha, trying

to drain out her extra power. But it wasn't working. Electricity still charged out of her with the same intensity it did before. Her hiccups had turned into a cat's

they go out of control, but not all plants. There has to

though this is more

you met earlier..." I said

the plantations, with Zosha being the focal point. Every living cell in the impact area

a deep breath, I licked

scary to live a life that's not under our control. When someone else gets to define

cautiously stepped

a different view. She used to say that life has its ways of unfolding. Ways beyond our comprehension. Something that's scary today can give you

voice quivered. Biting back

life is always working in our favor. We just need to put our complete faith

for someone to say those exact same words to me. I didn't know life had

I took a deep breath and

those hurt rats and birds and lizards? When you take away their pain? Without you, they would have suffered life, their loved ones would have suffered an irreplaceable loss, but because of you, they are together,

the tightness building

help others by taking that first step. People like me, on

of salty tears overwhelmed my tongue as I caught my lower lip between my

Maybe she wanted to contradict what I said, but was too scared and weak to do

lives you can change and save with the same powers that you fear today. Your powers aren't bad, they aren't your enemy.

heard Zosha's sobs. She had transformed into

have to use your powers, no. Because your true strength is your conviction to help others. And you'll always find a way. Your powers will

back as another wave of electricity erupted and the plants

please come out, dear?

not worth... watching, meow! Not in this... state! Go away or... you'll be hurt, meow!"

then I'll come to you... even if that's the last thing I do. And I want you to know that you'll be a great healer one day. Because becoming a healer is a mentality, and you already possess it in its strongest form." Zosha

she lifted

"I'll love you..."

me. My family sold me because of this. My

to visit 5s.org for the full experience. You won't find

stung into my eyes, but I maintained

that moment, I saw

have made the biggest

on the cuff

all my caution and trudged closer to her, making my way

She crawled back.

away! Please! Please! Don't come

before her and stretched out my

inside. I know you want to hide. You are lost, struggling with yourself. Your

to whom I had addressed those words - to her or myself. But I knew both

suffocation I felt in my chest

"Take my hand..."

She shook her head.

out and placed my hand on hers.

extremely fortunate to have met you today..." I said, wrapping my arms around her trembling body

sobs, hugging me back tighter. Caressing her hair, I stroked

a while, she clenched

I stroked her. She tried to pull herself away

gonna happen again... please go away from me!

alright... I am

nails dig into my skin. "I can't..." she made a sound as if she was choking, but she

doing. All I knew was it was the

her tears, I ignored the subtle electricity that charged through her hair. She was trying to

let go... you'll get hurt..." she

"You're worth the pain..."

"I'm not..."

"You are..."