Leon lay on his bed, breathing evenly. The breakthrough had finished hours ago, yet he still hadn’t woken up.
His mother sat beside him, holding his hand, while his father stood at the foot of the bed with his arms folded. Neither had left him for long since he was carried into the room.
Marcus had summoned the best physicians in the viscountcy. They arrived with their instruments and medicine cases, listened to the account of Leon’s breakthrough, and began examining him.
One physician examined his body, another traced the flow of essence through his meridians, and the eldest of them all carefully extended his spiritual sense towards the child’s soul.
The examination took a long time. They compared their findings, discussing each findings, and tried to approach the matter from a different direction.
His meridians were intact, his essence circulated normally, and his soul showed no visible damage. But when they tried to reach his consciousness, they found no response from there.
The eldest physician turned towards Marcus. "His body and soul show no sign of injury, my lord. But I got no response when I tried to reach it. Its like his consciousness itself is sleeping."
"Then try to wake him or get a response."
Hearing Marcus’s response, another physician opened his case and reached for a vial of some kind of stimulants. Seeing this, the eldest physician stopped him with a glance.
"Not yet. We don’t know why he remains unconscious. A stimulant might force a response, but if his consciousness has withdrawn deeper into his soul, disturbing it could harm him."
Another physician considered this. "Could the breakthrough have caused such a condition?"
"It is possible, but I found nothing that confirms it. For now, I can only say that his body is stable, while his consciousness remains beyond our reach."
Marcus’s expression tightened. "And how long can he remain like this?"
"I cannot say, my lord," the physician continued, hesitating. "He is stable, but we don’t know what is keeping him unconscious."
Hearing this, Marcus looked towards the bed, gazing towards Leon. He remained silent for a moment before turning towards Thomas, who stood near the doorway.
"Thomas, I want you to look into this quietly. Find anyone who has encountered something similar after a breakthrough. Start from cultivators concentrated areas like clans, or armies, but don’t make formal inquiries or let word of Leon’s condition spread. I want you to handle it personally."
Thomas understood the importance of the instruction. "I’ll investigate discreetly, my lord."
"Also, look into any medicines or rare resources that might help. Consult the physicians before acquiring anything."
Thomas bowed and left without drawing attention to himself.
Marcus turned back towards the eldest physician. "Continue observing him. And before attempting something new, consult with us first."
The physician agreed and remained near the bed with his colleagues.
For a while, Leon showed no further change. His mother continued holding his hand, occasionally brushing his hair away from his forehead. Then his lips curved into a faint smile.
His face relaxed, and a soft laugh escaped him. His fingers curled gently around his mother’s hand, as though holding someone’s hand in a moment of happiness. The expression was so natural that she couldn’t help smiling.
"He’s happy," she murmured. His father looked at their son, but the sight offered little reassurance. Whatever Leon was experiencing, it looked like it reached him even in his unconscious state.
He smiled was for a few moments before gradually disappearing. His brow tightened, and his breathing became uneven, and pressed his fingers more firmly against his mother’s hand.
Vera called his name, but he didn’t respond. "Is he frightened?" she asked, looking towards Marcus.
He had no answer, and could only watch as the uneasiness on Leon’s face increased. A tear slipped from the corner of Leon’s eye, followed by another.
The eldest physician checked his pulse again. "His heartbeat has quickened, but his essence remains steady."
"Then what is happening to him?" Leon’s father asked.
"I’m afraid I don’t know, my lord," he said, his expression apologetic.
Before the physician could add anything, Leon’s hand tightened abruptly. His brows drew together, his jaw stiffened, and his expression changed into one of intense anger, carrying a hostility neither parent had ever seen in him.
"What could he possibly be seeing?" Vera said, looking at Leon.
"He’s only five," his father replied quietly. "He has never faced anything like it in his life."
Leon had always been more composed than most children his age. He could understand things that would leave other children confused, but he had grown up surrounded by his family, with little reason to know such pain. Neither parent could understand what might be causing him to react this way.
"Could it be a nightmare?" his mother asked.
"Perhaps. But what kind of nightmare would leave him like this?"
The physicians offered no explanation. They had already examined Leon and found nothing that would account for his condition.
The tension in his face eventually began to loosen. His clenched hand relaxed, but the expression that followed was far more disturbing. He trembled, and tears began running down his cheeks, and small broken sounds came out of him.
Vera could no longer bear watching from beside the bed. She gently lifted him against her and tried to comfort him, telling him that they were there and that everything was all right.
But Leon didn’t respond, and his crying continued. Marcus placed a hand on her shoulder, but neither of them knew what to do.
He looked towards the eldest physician among them. "Is there nothing you can do?"
The physician shook his head. "Not without knowing what is happening. His condition hasn’t deteriorated, and for now, we should avoid interfering with his consciousness."
Marcus looked displeased, but he understood the risk. He instructed the physicians to remain available and make another assessment if Leon’s condition changed.
The crying gradually faded before stopping altogether, and his hands relaxed, while a faint sadness lingered in his expression.
Vera laid him back against the pillow and gently wiped his face. She couldn’t understand what he had just experienced, or why her son had looked so happy one moment and so devastated the next.
The physicians eventually packed their instruments, leaving one of them behind to continue monitoring Leon. Thomas had already begun carrying out his instructions, and Marcus intended to hear from him as soon as he found anything useful.
Vera remained to Leon’s side, and gently brushed her hand against his forehead, while Marcus remained them, watching Leon.