Black Healer

«Evelyn, are you sure you're not hurt anywhere?" Matthew asked concerned, seeing her mind drift off.

Hearing his voice, Evelyn was pulled back from her memories and gave him a grateful smile.

"Yes, I really am fine. I was just thinking back to when we first met. It seems you have saved me again."

"You flatter me too much. All I did the last time was drag you around at the banquet. I was actually worried you might have found me bothersome," he replied with a sheepish smile, as he awkwardly fixed his hair.

"No, how could that be," Evelyn gently chuckled. "I was jealous of how everyone already knew each other, without knowing what to do. You, coming up to me, really saved me from standing alone in a corner the whole evening".

She still remembered the day of the banquet clearly, even though it had already been five years.

'Well, only two years ago in this life'

She remembered that her parents had informed her of a charity banquet she was to attend. They had given her a new outfit to wear, a beautiful dress in a dark emerald shade. Evelyn couldn't remember the last time they had given her such a nice outfit. Or any new clothes, for that matter.

It had been around the time she turned twelve that they had stopped buying clothes for her. Instead, she was handed down the clothes Amanda no longer wanted.

Size-wise, the clothes fit her perfectly, given that she and Amanda truly were that identical. But Amanda preferred light colors, as opposed to Evelyn, who much preferred darker shades.

'She was always in the light, after all,' she bitterly thought.

So, when her parents had given her a new dress, and even one in such wonderful deep shade of emerald, Evelyn had been ecstatic.

'I took it as proof that they still loved me, that they cared about me. I believed the maids when they told me there was no reason for me to get new clothes. I never left the house after all.'

'And see, as soon as I was leaving the house, they gave me brand new outfit. It was all the confirmation I needed. I clung to it like a lifeline.'

Grimacing at how foolish she had been, she comforted herself with the fact that she would be different in this life.

In this life, she had accepted the reality that they never cared for her. She no longer sought after their love. She would carve her own path on her own.

Seeing Matthew brushing back his hair, she noticed a small wound on his hand.

"You're hurt," she commented as she took his hand in hers.

Activating her ability to heal, a soft green light enveloped their connected hands. She could feel the familiar sensation of a summer breeze wafting over her, as she had felt so many times before in her last life.

The comforting sensation that always came over her when she used heal.

Seeing that the wound was healed, she lifted her head and smiled at Matthew.

His eyes were wide, looking down on his hand. He flipped his hand around a few times, confirming that his wound was actually gone, before quickly snapping his head up towards his companions in the distance, a guarded look in his eyes.

Evelyn also looked back at them, but they stood with their backs turned, their heads huddled together, seemingly talking with lowered voices.

"Evelyn, you're a healer?" Matthew asked, his voice low and his hands now gripping her shoulders.

Surprised at his suddenly serious expression, she responded in an equally low whisper.

"Yes, but isn't that a good thing? I know healers are rare, but shouldn't that just make it easier for me to find companions inside the tower? Everyone gets hurt at some point, so having a healer in a group is a good thing."

"Evelyn, do you know how rare healers are? There are only two registered! Not just here, but in the whole world! Healers aren't just rare; they are deeply coveted! And not for climbing the tower, but for rich organizations. If people find out that you, without any real backing, are a healer…"

His whole body visibly shuttered, "you'll be lucky if they offer to pay you for your healing. Most likely, they'll kidnap you without anyone being the wiser. You'll be declared dead while secretly chained up in some dungeon, forced to heal whoever they present before you…"

If the fear in his eyes and voice weren't enough to scare Evelyn, the tremor she felt through his hands were.

Meeting Matthew at the banquet, he seemed like the most confident person. He had been her savior not only then, but today as well. He had given her the impression he was an unmovable rock. Always steady and composed. A person wholly confident and comfortable in his own abilities. His role. His place.

Evelyn had unknowingly placed a large trust in his being, so his words shock her greatly.

And combined with her experiences from her past life, her parents never leaving her side, the bodyguards that followed them when they went to visit patients…

Color drained from her face as Evelyn realized that her parents hadn't just had the bodyguards there to show off like she originally thought. They were there to make sure she wasn't taken. Abducted.

Even Samuel was probably a calculated choice to keep her within their grasp. It wasn't just that he had fame and fortune, it was that he was strong enough to keep her in their grasp.

Seeing the puzzle pieces fall into place, Evelyn suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her vision blurring.

Just as she felt her body begin to sway, Matthew called out to her while giving her shoulders a gentle but firm shake

"Evelyn."

His voice and steady grasp on her shoulders brought her back out of her thoughts. His concern was evident by the shaking in his eyes.

"Are you alright? I apologize for springing this all on you, but it's important that you understand the gravity of the situation. You can't tell anyone about your abilities."

He took a deep breath, before continuing. "It might be safer for you if you leave the tower. Live as a normal person instead…" he softly concluded for her.

Hearing his words, Evelyn took a step back, out of his grasp.

'I can't leave the tower… this is my chance at a new beginning! This is the way for me to change my life, to get away from my parents. I barely survived in my past life with the money from translating. Even if I want to try something else, find other work, my parents will stop them from hiring me.'

Not knowing what to say, Evelyn simply shook her head at Matthew.

"I can't."

"But Evelyn, think about it! The risks are too great!"

Seeing as she was determined, even after all he had said, he let out a defeated sigh.

"I was originally going to offer you to join our group, but I honestly don't know if it'll be safe for you… I trust my teammates with my back, but I can't trust them with this…"

"Healers are just too rare. They could slip up, accidentally spilling what you are…" Giving her an apologetic look while shaking his head, he sighed once again.

"And I'm sorry Evelyn. I would like to offer to join you instead, but I can't leave the group. I can't tell you the reasons, but I need to climb the tower as fast as possible. And they," he pointed his head towards his team, "they are my best chance at that."

Nodding her head, she understood where he came from.

"Thank you, Matthew, for always looking after me," she smiled.

"But I understand. You have already helped me greatly just by telling me about healers, and the risks of telling people I am one."

Laughing mockingly at herself, she continued. "I was about to introduce myself to your group as 'Evelyn the healer', after all."

"Luckily your friend found me first, and I was so shaken that I wasn't even able to utter my own name…" shaking her head at how lucky she had been, she once again smiled up at Matthew. He was muttering something under his breath with an annoyed look towards his group, but she couldn't catch what he was saying.

Seeing as if it probably wasn't meant for her to hear, she just ignored it. She had learned long ago not to pry into what was not meant for her.

"I really do have to apologize for David," Matthew said as he scratched the back of his head.

"There really isn't anything I can say to excuse his behavior, but he is a good guy once you know him…"

Evelyn waved him off, not at all offended. She had simply been scared, that was all. He hadn't actually harmed her.

Well, her arm was probably a bit bruised, but she could understand where he came from.

'I was a creep in the bushes, after all,' she grimaced to herself.

"Don't worry, Matthew. And just the fact that you thought to include me in your group is already more than enough," she smiled.

Matthew was the only person she had met that always tried to include her. And for that, she was grateful.

"I had, after all, already kind of settled with the thought that I might have to climb the tower on my own. I tried to introduce myself to someone in the waiting area, to work together to climb the tower, but…" she trailed off, not really wanting to tell Matthew how she got thrown into the portal because she wasn't able to talk straight.

"Anyway, I'm just glad you thought of me." She smiled. "But, if you could point me in the direction of where I might find some slime, I would appreciate it. I'm a bit lost..." she blushed.

"Oh, so that's why you're all the way out here," Matthew said, looking as if he had solved a puzzle. "I was going to ask, but that explains it," he chuckled

Thinking a bit, Matthew continued. "I'll escort you part of the way there."

Seeing her inquiring expression, he explained, "We're out here looking for a hidden boss, so it might not be safe for you to walk alone."

Remembering how she had heard David talking about a monster, and the signs of it being close by, Evelyn gratefully accepted his offer.

'Having to fight a hidden boss before I even get to see a regular monster would truly be too unfair," she thought, not knowing that she herself was the 'hidden boss' they were chasing.

Matthew jogged to his teammates, and after a short conversation, came back to her.

"I just talked to them, so let's go."

Evelyn gave his team a parting nod, and off they went.