Am I a Healer? You'd Better Think So!-Chapter 28: All Been A Setup

In the 25th century, Earth was a world marked by abandonment. Hundreds of once-grand cities, home to millions, now lay deserted. The global population had dropped drastically, estimated at less than three billion.

With fewer people to occupy vast areas, society was reorganized. The six Empires that ruled Earth were structured in a similar way: at the top were the Imperial Cities, accessible only to an extremely exclusive elite; below them were the Mortal Cities, where the rest of the population lived.

However, some lived on the fringes of this order. In abandoned cities, small communities survived in secrecy. Some of these areas, still supplied with energy and remnants of technology, became temporary shelters for a group known as the underworld dwellers.

They were criminals, fugitives, and those who simply refused to submit to the Empire. Sometimes, they restored parts of the infrastructure in these forgotten cities, turning them into makeshift refuges.

The Empire, aware of their existence, simply chose to ignore them. It was as if what happened to ordinary people didn't matter. As long as they didn't pose a direct threat to the Imperial Cities, they could do whatever they wanted.

This underworld settled near the most strategic Mortal Cities, trading and doing business with their inhabitants. But their main trade was smuggling goods between the empires. Because of this, some Mortal Cities ended up being divided into three factions: the Underworld, the Law of Humans, and the Empire's Enforcers.

The Empire's Enforcers, however, were just observers. Their presence was only a reminder that imperial authority still existed, but their interventions were rare. They still had to be there, after all—artifacts, items, and other abnormal things circulated freely among common people.

The Law of Humans was basically the same traditional rules human society had established centuries ago; not much had changed. Crimes between people of the same status were still punished accordingly, but... as long as you had connections to the Empire or enough money to buy protection from the underworld, you could walk free.

In essence, for the vast majority of humans in the 25th century, the real law was the law of the strong. Everyone knew someone who had been killed for no reason—just because someone powerful decided so.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Fear and oppression were constant. Any connection to the Empire or any kind of available protection was an invaluable resource for survival.

Despite all that, if you had a job and someone to protect you, life was actually pretty calm and comfortable.

All the technology created in the 21st century, with little improvement, was easily available. Food and tech weren't expensive—everything was accessible. But of course, this was a life enjoyed by less than 10% of ordinary humans.

***

In the far northeast of the capital of the New Arcadia Empire, a storm roared over the abandoned city, swallowed by the underworld.

At its center, there was an occupied building. And in the basement of that place, there was an improvised dungeon.

The air inside was heavy, humid, filled with a nauseating stench.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

Then, in a dark cell, the door creaked as it opened, and for the first time in days, a beam of light pierced that darkness.

A man held a lantern in one hand and a chain in the other. He raised the light, illuminating the interior of the cell.

In the farthest corner, two trembling figures huddled together. They sat shoulder to shoulder, their hands firmly clasped, as if their connection was impossible to break.

A boy and a girl, both extremely thin, their lips cracked, their faces pale. They hadn't eaten in days, maybe only given enough water to avoid death. Their torn clothes were covered in mud, and their short, light green hair contrasted with their intense red eyes.

The man growled:

"I hope you're ready to talk! Your time is up!"

The two only shuddered, their unfocused eyes staring in the direction of the voice. They didn't even have the strength to stand.

He continued, his gaze cold.

"I'm taking you for one last conversation. I'll be direct: some new toys arrived from a faraway place. If you cooperate, maybe we'll consider a better fate for you... maybe even freedom. But if you force us to use those methods... the insanity and distortion your minds will experience will have no return. It'll be a long and painful death."

No response.

Only the grip between their filthy fingers tightened. As if they were trying to offer each other a little warmth and comfort.

The man scoffed and pulled the chains, fastening them tightly around their necks. Without warning, he dragged them out like animals.

They felt their skin scrape and blood spread, but they no longer had the strength to care. They climbed a dark staircase to an upper floor.

Inside, the smell of blood and rot was suffocating. It was a dimly lit room, where the windows briefly flickered with each thunderclap.

Three figures awaited.

The twins were thrown onto chairs that immediately clamped down on their wrists and ankles. One of the figures stepped forward, holding two syringes filled with a purple liquid. Without any gentleness, he injected the contents into both of them.

Violent spasms overtook their bodies. Their eyes widened, hearts pounding against their ribs. A surge of adrenaline burned through their veins.

Then, they saw her.

Standing before them was a short woman with golden hair and a dark gaze.

"This will be our last conversation." Her voice sliced through the silence. "There's no point in denying it, the DNA test already confirmed it: you're his siblings."

"We don't know anything!" the girl cried, desperate. "Darian only told me where to find some hidden money. He swore he got a job but had to travel and would only come back occasionally!"

The woman scoffed, impatient: "Let me be clear. There was no way he could've discovered so many secrets about powerful people, with such precise details. Your brother has paranormal abilities. Something the Empire hides at all costs."

She took a step closer.

"He tricked my people using a diabolical poison. Then, he simply vanished without a trace. When we returned, we only found a trace of his blood—but it was completely free of poison. It was obvious it had all been a setup." Her voice sharpened. "He definitely told you something, some clue about where he is or when he'll return. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked contacting us for money. The Empire is brutal with its rules, it would never allow him to leak even the slightest detail. But he did it because he cares about you."

The twins' eyes trembled, glistening with tears.

They didn't know what to say. They didn't know what she wanted to hear. Could they make something up? No.

Behind them, a man held a strange crystal, observing them.

Lucy had already tested it. That crystal would reveal any lie.

"Please, don't hurt my sister..." Lucius whispered, trembling. "If you do, he'll never come back. And you'll never get anything..."

The woman just scoffed and shot a glance at another man in the back of the room. He nodded, picked up a small black box, and handed it to her.

When she opened it, the entire room grew so cold it hurt their bones.

Lucy and Lucius held their breath as they saw what was inside.

Inside the box, two black needles, five centimeters long, reflected a cruel gleam.

The woman smiled darkly.

"Indeed, keeping you alive to lure him in would be useful. But unfortunately for you, this little toy became available for purchase." She twirled the needles between her fingers. "If you don't want to talk, or if you really don't know anything... it doesn't matter anymore. I will read all your memories. Every single word that bastard said."

She paused, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

Then, she took a step forward.

"This solves everything. You don't need to keep living. But I..." She let out a low laugh. "I'll still have a few days of fun with you."

The twins swallowed hard, their eyes locked onto the gleaming needles drawing closer.

Until—

**BOOM!!!!**