Even though I was confident the salve would work, Aiden’s unwavering trust still moved me a little. “How does it feel?” I asked softly as I continued rubbing the medicine into his skin. “Cool, soothing. Doesn’t hurt. Not bad,” Aiden said. “I’ll apply it once a day. In a week, you should be mostly healed.” The doctor’s eyes went wide. “A week? Impossible! Even skin grafts can’t restore burned skin that fast.” I smiled and tucked the bottle back into my pocket. “I never said it’d be perfect. That takes time. But seventy, eighty percent recovery? That’s realistic.” “Alright then,” the doctor huffed. “I’ll wait and see what it looks like in seven days.” I raised my chin slightly. “Let’s see who’s right.” With a grunt, he packed up his things and stormed out. Aiden straightened up and looked at me. “Burns aren’t something you can heal with regular medicine. Why’d you bet with the doctor?” “Because I knew I’d win,” I said seriously. Aiden let out a helpless sigh. “Just don’t regret it later.” I snorted. “Still don’t believe me? We’ll see.” He said nothing more. For the next week, I applied the salve to Aiden’s back every day. He was surprisingly cooperative. Though in the last couple of days, he began to worry the medicine had stopped working because he couldn’t feel much of anything anymore. I only smiled and told him to wait until the seventh day. On the seventh day, the doctor returned right on time and walked up to Aiden’s bed. He lifted Aiden’s shirt to examine his back. One look—and he froze, jaw slack. “Moon Goddess… it actually healed?”I smiled quietly as he stared. Seven days ago, Aiden’s back had been gruesomely burned, raw and blistered, layers of flesh stuck to fabric. But now, after a week of treatment, all that remained were faint traces of scarring. Aiden caught a glimpse in the mirror for the first time—and was stunned into silence. The doctor reached out with trembling fingers and gently touched the skin. “Incredible… absolutely incredible…” he murmured, eyes locked on the now-smooth surface. Then he turned that look of awe on me. “I give up, girl. You really did it. You cured him.” “So… are you going to keep your word?” I asked. I already knew the outcome. What I really wanted to see was whether the doctor would honor our deal. He nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Of course! What do you want?” I tapped my chin, thinking, then said, “I want a piece of hundred-year-old sandalwood.” The doctor paused, visibly uneasy. “That’s… uh…” “What? Are you thinking of backing out?” I narrowed my eyes at him. He frowned, then sighed deeply. “Fine. A promise is a promise. Follow me.” I shot Aiden a wink and followed the doctor toward the hospital’s medicinal vault. I hadn’t made that bet on a whim. I already knew this hospital—Varken’s largest—had the most complete herb vault in all of Arkadia. Just as we stepped inside, a loud voice boomed from within. “Larry! You trying to give me a heart attack, sneaking in like a damn ghost?!” Only then did I realize the doctor I’d been betting with was named Larry. He gave me a sheepish grin and called out, “Rona, we’ve got company—could you tone it down a bit?” “Company? Who?” A sudden gust of air swept past, and the next thing I knew, my hand was caught in a firm grip. “You’re the one Larry’s been talking about?” I was caught between nodding and shaking my head, unsure of how to respond. I didn’t know who this elder was, and his grip on my hand left me no polite way to pull free. “She’s no ordinary girl,” Larry said excitedly. “She healed a severe burn to near-perfect condition. I’ve been practicing medicine for decades and never seen anything like it.” Rona chuckled. “Not that impressive. There are plenty of ancient Arkadian remedies that can do that. But…” He gave me a sharp look. “Who taught you how to make that salve?” “My master’s name is Tempest,” I replied calmly. Rona’s expression changed immediately. “What did you say? Tempest—the legendary Wolf Healer? You’re his disciple?” I blinked, a little confused, and nodded. Legendary? Wolf Healer? He never mentioned any of that to me. To me, he was just a grumpy old man who cheated at chess and drank too much. “She wants some sandalwood,” Larry cut in helpfully. Rona grinned. “Of course. But young lady—would you let me study your salve? Just for research.” “Sure,” I agreed easily. Without the exact recipe and guidance, no one could replicate it perfectly anyway. But if this old man really could pull it off, then he was clearly a genius in his own right. Someone like that, holding a formula like this, wouldn’t be a waste.