RAIWAN AGAINST THE DIVINE

Chapter 12: The Boy Who Fell

The sphere absorbed all the hits around it, then repelled it in a ripple, scattering the beasts as if they were mere flies.

One of the creatures, thrown back like the others, roared angrily. It took several steps back, opened its maw wide, and began gathering energy. A massive, formidable orb formed within its mouth, swelling with power.

The beast unleashed this energy blast toward the sphere, but before the attack could connect, the sphere vanished. The blast struck the ground with a thunderous boom, shaking the earth as explosive waves rolled out for hundreds of kilometers, killing countless beasts too weak to withstand the shockwave.

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A sphere of glowing, circular runes appeared deep beneath the waters of Bahan Zamraan. It lingered there, undisturbed. Then, without warning, disappeared, only to reappear and vanish repeatedly in different places.

At one point, it materialized in the sky, plummeting downward. But before it reached the ground, it flickered and began to dim. The runes faded, and its energy waned. Raiwan slipped from the remnants of the sphere, his eyes closed, his mind drifting in unconsciousness, as he continued to fall.

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She had just returned from the woods, carrying a bundle of small logs tied together with a rope. Humming softly, she walked alongside her twelve-year-old daughter.

"Mommy, when will you have a little sister for me?" the girl asked, pouting. "Both Sulail and Abril have younger siblings to play with, but I'm all alone. It's frustrating!"

"Don't worry, honey," her mother replied with a smile. "When the time comes, I'll give you twin siblings, a brother and a sister."

"Really? Huh…?"

Her daughter's voice trailed off, her gaze suddenly fixed on the sky with a look of confusion.

Following her daughter's line of sight, she too noticed it—a dimming, circular ball of energy falling from above, and within it, a boy.

"Ah…" she gasped softly, dropping the logs she was carrying as they clattered to the ground.

Without a second thought, she dashed toward where she anticipated the boy would land. "Hurry, Malina! It's a boy!"

They ran together and didn't stop until they saw him lying motionless on the ground, like a broken doll. Blood was trickling from the side of his head.

Despite the severity of the situation, she felt a faint glimmer of relief—there was hope he might still be alive.

But could anyone survive a fall from such heights?

Undeterred, she approached him. His body should have been mangled, but miraculously, only his head appeared injured.

She knelt beside him and placed a hand near his nose.

"Is he alive, Mom?"

"Strangely… yes."

"But why did he fall from the sky?"

"How would I know, Malina? We were together the whole time—you were even the first to see him."

"I only saw the blue ball," Malina murmured, looking upward again. "But it disappeared."

"Hand me your scarf."

"My scarf? No! It'll get stained!"

"Do you want him to die?" her mother asked, gesturing to the gash on Raiwan's head, still bleeding.

Malina hesitated but reluctantly removed her scarf, a cherished gift from her grandmother.

She watched as her mother tore a strip from her own clothing, folded it, and placed it over the wound. Then, wrapping the scarf around it, she tied it tightly.

"Help me, Malina," she said, preparing to lift Raiwan onto her back.

Getting him situated was challenging, and she was already fatigued as she stood up.

She took a deep breath and began walking home, each step a struggle under his weight.

Each step felt like a journey toward success—one of sheer determination.

The hardest steps are the ones leading to success.

As she walked, her breathing grew labored, her throat parched, her heart raced, and her clothes clung to her, soaked in sweat. Still, she didn't stop.

She pushed on, legs trembling, her face etched with pain.

"Mom, you need to rest! Your legs are shaking," Malina pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.

Her mother paused, noticing her daughter's worry.

"I understand, Malina," she said softly. "But he could bleed out if we stop. We can't rest now."

Seeing Malina's distress, she made a decision she hadn't considered before.

"Malina, go find someone to help us—someone we know. Don't ask the guards. Be careful, and don't run, just hurry, okay?"

Malina nodded and dashed off.

"No running, Malina!" her mother shouted, watching as her daughter tried to slow down.

With a sigh, she resumed walking.

She trudged forward, feeling herself grow dizzy, yet she refused to stop.

She didn't know how much time had passed; it felt like years since she'd first picked Raiwan up, with time and awareness slipping away.

Finally, when no one had yet arrived, she stopped. She couldn't take another step, no matter how hard she tried.

"Should I set him down? No… picking him up again would be too difficult."

'What should I do? I can't walk…'

Then, in the distance, she saw Malina returning—with two other children, both around her daughter's age.

"Huh…?"

Malina approached with Sulail and Abril, friends from the town.

Her mother didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the sight.

"Mom, everyone's out at the market or working. You told me not to ask strangers, so I found Sulail and Abril."

"Good morning, Mommy," they greeted, bowing slightly.

She nodded weakly and gestured for Abril, the oldest, to come closer and help.

Together, they carefully lowered Raiwan onto the ground.

After a quick check, she saw he was still breathing, though weakly, with blood soaking through the scarf.

She sent Malina and Sulail to fetch her friend Anithya and to wait at the house.

Once they left, she and Abril lifted Raiwan again, she holding him by the armpits and Abril by the legs.

They walked steadily until they reached her home, where they found Anithya already waiting, medical bag in hand.

"Oh, gods!" Anithya gasped, quickly helping to lay Raiwan on the couch.

She began unwrapping the makeshift bandage, her hands steady despite her concern.

Upon seeing the wound, Anithya's expression tightened, though her practiced calm held. "Oh, oh…this is serious," she murmured, pulling a vial from her bag. She held it up for her friend to see. "This potion will cost a lot, Manika."

Manika, Malina's mother, winced at the price but didn't object, trusting Anithya's judgment.

Anithya poured the colorless liquid over the wound. It sizzled, momentarily burning with a green flame before vanishing without harming Raiwan's skin or muscles.

Then, she shaved the area around the wound and applied sutures to close the gash, then coated the wound with a thick red gel, even placing a small amount in Raiwan's mouth. Finally, she sealed the sutures with protective plastic.

Anithya exhaled heavily, clapping her hands once. "I've done all I can. Now, it's up to fate—and whether you can find a skilled healer."

"What do you mean?" Manika asked, her voice trembling.

"His brain is damaged. So... unless you find someone with powerful healing magic or abilities… he may never open his eyes again," Anithya said softly, her tone filled with sympathy.