A-Xuan woke up and took a shower. After grabbing food at the cafeteria, he went to the medical building. He wanted to check the conditions before anyone showed up.

On the first floor were the people infected with the second virus. They were a big room with multiple beds, with a shared bathroom.

On the second floor were the hurt ability users, they each had a single room with a bathroom attached to it. Is this a fucking joke?

Those who have the second virus should be confined in single rooms.

The virus is contracted after contact with a plant that mutated because of pollution, which means doctors or people around the infected won’t catch it.

The problem is that no one knows which plant it is, and people still need to use plants to grow food. Those infected’s vision gets blurry, they vomit constantly and have a fever.

But the effect varies depending on the person. Some are cold and some are hot. They should be in their room and have the temperature they need for their body to heal.

The simplest change in temperature can take them down easily. How are they supposed to get better if they all share a room?

Moreover, one shared bathroom for 10 sick people is unhygienic, and it’s only going to worsen their bodies’ condition.

If having that virus isn’t enough, do they want them to catch something else? A-Xuan was beyond angry. Naethan is the one who decided to do that. Ridiculous.

They were 20 patients in total and after checking every infected, he went back to the second floor to check the ability users.

He could see that most of them still had a few days of healing left. The energy of a healer isn’t infinite, they require rest to recuperate. But the way they heal is stupid.

They focus on just one person at a time. So while maybe a third of the ability user’s injury is being healed, the others are in pain for the next 3 or 4 days.

Naethan refused to let doctors help them too, he felt like they weren’t good enough to.

He would let other healers work on them for three days and on the last day when there was only a little more left, he would heal them. Those fools would thank him as if he did all of it.

When Naethan woke up, he touched the bed but couldn’t see A-Xuan. He stood up and looked around. Everything was still in place. So, he didn’t come back last night.

He waited for him for a long time but ended up falling asleep. He took a shower and went to the cafeteria. When he was done, he walked to the medical building, the place that used to be his favorite.

As soon as he arrived he looked at the building with anger, his hands tightening into fists. He took from me what I cared most about.

How is he supposed to have power and have people see how much better he is if he’s just working under A-Xuan?

He still can’t believe that A-Xuan accepted the post when he knows how much he cares about it. He honestly can’t recognize him right now.

He humiliated him last night, and he’ll make him pay a thousandfold. I’ll just coax him as usual, it always works. Thinking that he relaxed a little as he entered.

When he arrived, he checked the first floor. Naethan entered the room, but was shocked to see ability users on the beds instead of the infected.

When Khal saw him, he immediately stood up and went to him.

"What the fuck is going in here, Naethan? Why are all the hurt ability users here instead of their private room as usual?"

Naethan looked at him uneasily. He doesn’t know what to say, he always told Khal that he would always take care of the ability users first.

That’s why he put them in single rooms.

"Let me check."

Naethan went to the second floor looking for anyone but couldn’t. Even on the first floor, there were no healers or doctors.

He checked his office and felt like killing A-Xuan when he saw him sitting on his chair behind his desk.

A-Xuan looked at him expressionlessly:

"Finally, work starts at 8 am, not 8:30."

Naethan smiled at him sweetly and came in, closing the door behind him.

He stood with the doctors and healers but made sure A-Xuan would see him.

"I checked everything and made new rules."

He gave a stack of paper to his assistant, who handed one to everyone. Naethan looked at the rules, fuming.

He looked at A-Xuan to say something, but A-Xuan spoke first.

"Every infected will be on the second floor, in a single room from now on. Ability users do not leave the first floor unless they are infected. The way healers treat users will change. You need to spread your energy to everyone, so they won’t be in pain until you are done treating others. It’s because of that that their drug consumption is so high. It’s a waste when it could’ve been avoided. Healers will only use their ability if a doctor lets them know if it’s better to let the patient be treated with drugs or not. Do not heal anyone without a doctor’s opinion first. I don’t want to see special treatment just because they are users. Have I made myself clear?"

Everyone nodded. All the doctors were beyond happy. They finally felt like they could help people again, instead of being looked down on by people who know nothing about the medical field.

The healers, on the other hand, were angry. None of them are doctors, but being healers was the closest thing to it.

They all felt like life saviors when all they did is pour all their energy into one or two ability users and leave after a few hours. The doctors were left taking care of all the rest.

Naethan smiled and asked:

"Wouldn’t it be better for ability users to be on the second floor? Don’t you think so A-Xuan?"

He batted his eyelashes as he usually would, and he knew that A-Xuan would fall for it as always.

The only way for him to be at the top is to have the users at his side, and he can’t have that if they hate him. Specially Khal is one of the leaders.

A-Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"How would it be better?"

Naethan blinked surprised, not knowing what to say. He typically doesn’t need to give reasons for A-Xuan to do what he says.

He stammered:

"I-I..."

"No, go on. Only a moron would think that ten people should share a room when they are infected. So please tell me, so I can know right now whether you are one or not."

Naethan closed his mouth humiliated, his face became red when he saw a few doctors smiling mockingly.

A-Xuan looked at Naethan.

"Users are not in charge here, I am. If anyone gives special treatment to any of them, you’re out."

Naethan swallowed. A-Xuan handed another stack of paper to his assistant, who handed them to everyone.

"This is your schedule. The time when healers left after staying an hour is done. Even if you’re out of energy, you’ll stay assisting a doctor. Like that, you’ll be able to learn from them. If you can’t do a shift for some reason, kindly let me know, and I’ll change it if your reason is valid. You may all go."

Everyone left except Naethan. He closed the door and sat in front of A-Xuan. A-Xuan was looking at him indifferently.

Naethan couldn’t help but wonder what happened to him.

A-Xuan used to look at him with so much love it made him sick and annoyed, but at least he got something out of it. But now not only did he take his place, he even changed every rule.

He forced himself to smile and asked worriedly:

"Where were you last night? I waited for you all night."

"I got my own room. I need space."

Naethan was shocked, when they arrived he wanted to be alone but A-Xuan was relentless, so he agreed to live together.

But now he is the one who felt like he needed space from him? Is this a fucking job? Does he not love me anymore? He shook his head, of course, he loves him.

"A-Xuan, why didn’t you tell me before this is how you felt?"

A-Xuan smirked:

"Haven’t I?"

Naethan looked away. It’s true that he did but even when he would lie A-Xuan would apologize. He turned his head stunned when he heard A-Xuan’s next words.

"We’re done, by the way. I don’t want to be with you anymore."

"W-why?"

A-Xuan answered:

"I realized that you don’t and never loved me. I want to be loved instead of used."

Naethan looked at him wide-eyed.

Has he known all along? Is that why he decided to take my job? But he can’t break up with him, now that he is no longer in charge, he needs to be with A-Xuan.

Once he takes his place back, then he’ll dump him. The only reason he didn’t before was that he worked for him, and he would blindly follow all his commands.

"That’s not true, I love you."

A-Xuan rolled his eyes.

"Just go work, you’re already thirty minutes late. Don’t be next time."

Naethan looked at him lost. A-Xuan ordered:

"Now!"

He stood up and left. Naethan closed the door behind him, feeling like A-Xuan became another person.

If I can’t use him anymore I’ll get rid of him. He went back to the first floor and called Khal discretely.

Khal followed him to a secluded room, not understanding.

"What’s going on?"

"A-Xuan’s the one who changed all the rules. He thinks that mundanes should be above users." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Khal asked angrily:

"What did you just say?"

"He stole my job as the head, and he’s changing everything. I asked him to do things like I used to, but he refused."

"I’ll go talk to him and clarify he has no say."

Khal turned around to go out, but Naethan stopped him.

"Emerys is the one who made him the head, so he has every right to handle everything as he wishes. The only way for things to go back to the way they used to be is if something happens to him. Then I’ll be in charge again."

Khal smiled viciously.

"He was added to the list of scavengers. What if he had an accident there?"

Naethan smiled.

"That’s perfect."

Khal smiled and left. Naethan knew he could count on him. Enjoy your few hours as the boss, it’ll be your last ones.