Chapter 7: The Lone Healer
451 Words
Weeks passed after the crimson-haired woman’s recovery.
The guild had started whispering about a new face—Chris, the quiet healer who never joined a party yet always completed his quests.
While most adventurers traveled in groups, Chris preferred solitude. He took low to mid-ranked missions—herb gathering, monster subjugations, even escort work—but never once asked for help.
He returned every time—tired, scratched, sometimes bruised—but always successful.
And that’s what made people start talking.
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“Hey, have you noticed that new guy? The healer who never parties up?”
“Yeah. Kinda weird, right? He’s just Rank D but clears B-rank requests alone.”
“Doesn’t even use offensive magic, apparently. Just healing. How’s that even possible?”
“Some say he’s cursed. Others say… he’s hiding something.”
The gossip spread like wildfire through the Silver Talon Guild.
Chris ignored it. He’d gotten used to stares by now. Every morning, he came in quietly, checked the quest board, signed a mission slip, and left without saying much.
The truth was—he couldn’t risk getting close to anyone.
He couldn’t let them see what lay beneath the gloves.
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One rainy evening, after returning from a long hunt in the forest, Chris handed his report to the clerk. She looked at him with a faint smile.
“You know,” she said, “most healers work with a party. You’d make friends faster that way.”
He gave a soft, polite laugh. “Maybe someday. I’m just more… comfortable alone.”
The clerk frowned slightly, but didn’t press him.
As Chris turned to leave, he caught sight of the crimson-haired woman at the far end of the hall. She was sparring with another adventurer—swift, precise, strong.
Her name was Aria Vale, now a rising star of the guild. Since her recovery, she’d been training harder than ever. She looked different—stronger—but her fiery spirit was still there.
Chris paused for a moment, watching quietly.
Then, unexpectedly, Aria’s gaze met his.
For a split second, she froze. That same feeling of familiarity flickered in her eyes, like she’d seen him somewhere before.
Chris quickly turned away, pulling up his hood.
He didn’t want her to remember. Not yet.
As he stepped out into the rain, the [System] whispered faintly in his mind:
> “Isolation defines you, Voidwalker. But the world remembers… even when you hide.”
Chris sighed, looking up at the stormy sky.
“I’m not your Voidwalker,” he muttered softly.
“I’m just a healer trying to live.”
But deep within his chest, the Voidedge mark pulsed again—slow, quiet, but restless.
- Writer
