Chapter 191: I Want to Stand

The private express elevator chimed softly as the digital display reached the top of the tower. With a quiet hiss, the doors slid open into the sunlit 80th-floor Sky-Palace.

Warm morning light spilled across the hardwood floors from the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. Out in the distance, the purple sky rift still hovered above the city, completely silent.

Sitting in her custom magitech wheelchair near the glass was Calista Vesper.

Her slender fingers gripped the padded armrests tightly, her knuckles white. Her tablet rested on the small glass table beside her, broadcasting live news footage of the collapsed western canyon and the emergency perimeter in District One.

Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were damp with fresh tears.

When the elevator chime echoed through the penthouse, Calista turned her wheelchair around quickly.

Her gaze landed on Evren walking through the entryway, flanked by Amber and Zephyra. He looked okay, his clothes were patched, and there was a smile on his face.

Calista froze. Her breath hitched in her throat, her lips trembling as tears welled up in her silver eyes again.

"Evren..." she choked out.

"Hey," Evren said softly, walking across the open living room toward her.

Calista engaged the motor of her wheelchair, rolling forward as fast as the wheels could carry her. The moment she reached him, she reached up with both hands, grabbing his forearms tightly.

"The news said the western chasm caved in," Calista cried, burying her face against his waist as quiet sobs shook her shoulders. "They said the singularity collapsed the entire canyon. I thought... I thought you were gone."

Evren placed a gentle hand on her head, softly stroking her silver hair. "I told you I’d come back, Calista. And I don’t break promises."

Calista sniffled, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her soft sweater. She looked up at him, then glanced at Amber and Zephyra, who were smiling warmly behind him.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, looking over his chest.

"Just a few bruises, but the doctors already patched me up," Evren replied, kneeling down on one knee so they were eye to eye. "More importantly, I brought something for you." ℴ

Evren tapped his spatial storage ring.

With a soft hum of mana, a fist-sized gem appeared in his open palm.

The Level 80 Star-Diamond Void Core glowed with a pure, radiant white light, wrapped in faint ribbons of golden starlight. The moment it materialized, the air in the penthouse grew cool.

Calista’s breath stopped completely.

As a master alchemist, she recognized the material in an instant. It was one of the rarest alchemical catalysts on the continent... the final, irreplaceable piece needed to rebuild shattered nerve roots and dissolve the deepest spinal calcification.

"The... the Star-Diamond core..." Calista whispered, her trembling hands hovering just over the radiant crystal. "You actually pulled it out of that rift."

"Told you I would," Evren smiled. "Give me ten minutes. Today, we get you out of that chair."

Evren walked over to the wide glass coffee table in the center of the living room. Amber and Zephyra moved Calista’s wheelchair closer, gathering around the table with quiet excitement.

Evren tapped his spatial ring.

With a brief pulse of mana, the matte-black Ancient Alchemy Crucible materialized onto the glass table with a solid thud, its etched runes catching the light.

Next, Evren pulled out a small crystal vial containing the droplet of living Star-Jade sap Calista had preserved from her family’s conservatory, alongside a bottle of high-grade alchemical solvent base.

"The Level 80 core will harmonize completely," Calista murmured, her silver eyes shimmering with professional awe as she watched him uncork the vials. "The Ancient Crucible eliminates all thermal shock... my family could only dream of having a vessel like this."

"That’s why we have it," Evren smiled.

Evren poured the sap and the solvent into the crucible’s chamber, then placed the glowing Star-Diamond core into the center. He lowered the lid and locked the clamps tight.

HUMMM.

The instant the seal locked, the golden runes etched across the crucible’s black hull flared to life.

Inside the sealed vessel, the runic arrays spun silently. Pure celestial energy broke down the dense monster core, dissolving the diamond shell and harmonizing the starlight mana with the Star-Jade sap at one hundred percent molecular purity.

After several minutes, the golden runes dimmed, and a clear chime rang out from the vessel. A tiny vent on the lid released a thin ribbon of sweet, starlight-scented vapor that filled the living room with the fresh scent of blooming lilies and cool air.

Evren unlatched the clamps and lifted the heavy lid.

Inside the chamber sat several ounces of glowing, silver-gold nectar. It was clear and warm, swirling with faint sparks of liquid light.

Evren took an empty crystal glass from the tray, carefully poured the warm nectar inside, and sealed the Ancient Alchemy Crucible back into his spatial storage ring.

He turned directly to Calista, offering her the glass.

"Here," Evren said softly. "Drink it while it’s warm."

Calista took the glass with trembling hands. She took a deep breath, brought the rim to her lips, and drank the entire potion in steady sips.

The nectar tasted like sweet honey and cool spring water. The moment it slid down her throat, a wave of soothing, golden warmth exploded inside her chest.

A soft chime sounded in Evren’s line of sight:

[DING!]

[STAGE 3 RECONSTRUCTION ACTIVE: CELESTIAL STAR-DIAMOND NECTAR CONSUMED]

[REMAINING SPINAL CALCIFICATION: 45% -> 0% DISSOLVED!]

[LUMBAR & SACRAL NERVE CHANNELS (L1–S5): 100% REGENERATED!]

Across Calista’s lower back, the petrification that had locked her spine in dead silence for two years began to dissolve. Thin wisps of harmless white vapor rose from her lower back, venting out through her clothing.

Calista let out a sharp, trembling gasp.

Warmth rushed downward like a sudden river, flooding through her hips, down into her thighs, over her knees, and straight into her calves and feet. Sensation... vivid, clear, and tingling, hit her lower body all at once.

She could feel the soft fabric of her trousers against her skin. She could feel the cool air in the room brushing against her ankles.

Calista looked down in utter shock. Her trembling hands slowly reached down, her palms pressing flat against the tops of her thighs.

The moment her fingers pushed against the cloth, she felt the real, distinct pressure of her own hands against her flesh. A quiet, breathless sob tore from her throat.

"I can feel my hands..." Calista whispered, her voice shaking with disbelief. "Evren, I can feel my own touch."

She slid her hands slowly down past her knees and along her shins, confirming every inch of returning sensation. Her breath came in quick, ragged gasps as she stared down at her feet.

She focused her mind on her right foot. With a deep breath, her toes gave a small, distinct wiggle against the metal footrest. Then, with a slow, trembling effort, she pulled her foot upward, lifting her heel two inches off the plate.

"It moves..." Zephyra breathed softly from beside her, a radiant smile spreading across her face. "Master, look, she can move it!"

Calista didn’t stop there. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she carefully swung her legs over the edge of the footrests.

She lowered both feet until her bare soles touched the smooth hardwood floor of the living room.

The cool, solid surface pressed against the bottoms of her feet. Calista gasped, her whole body shuddering at the sensation of real, solid ground beneath her. For two years, she had felt nothing below her ribs. Now, the earth was right there under her soles.

Overcome with pure, overwhelming emotion, Calista gripped the armrests of her wheelchair tightly.

"I want to stand," she whispered, her eyes shining with tears.

Before Evren could speak, Calista leaned forward and pushed downward with her arms and legs, eager to stand on her own two feet.

"Wait, Calista..." Evren started, reaching out.

Calista’s legs straightened halfway, but after two years of complete disuse, her atrophied muscles had zero strength to support her body weight.

The moment she tried to lock her joints, her knees buckled completely.

"Ah!!!"

Before she could hit the floor, Evren caught her smoothly around the waist, pulling her securely against his chest.

Calista clung to his shoulders, breathing hard, her face flushed red with a mix of surprise and embarrassment. "My legs... they wouldn’t hold me."

Evren smiled warmly, gently lifting her and easing her back into the comfortable chair.

"Your spine and nerves are completely healed, Calista," Evren explained softly, brushing a stray silver lock behind her ear. "The connection is back, but your leg muscles have been asleep for two whole years. You can’t just jump up on day one. You need proper physical therapy to wake them up and rebuild your strength."

Calista looked down at her legs, nodding with a sheepish smile. "I got ahead of myself. I was just so excited."

"That’s completely normal," Amber smiled, stepping forward to gently squeeze Calista’s hand. "When I first stood up, my knees shook like jelly too. It takes a little practice, but you’ll be walking in no time."

Evren pulled out his phone and dialed Director Mikay. The call connected instantly.

"Chairman Evren," Mikay answered smoothly. "How can I assist you?"

"Mikay, I need you to hire the best private female physiotherapist in the capital on an exclusive retainer," Evren said. "Someone top-tier who can handle post-paralysis recovery, starting tomorrow morning at nine."

"Understood, sir," Mikay replied. "What facilities will she have access to?"

"We have a fully outfitted private gym and arena on the seventy-fifth floor of Meridian Tower," Evren said. "Send her the floor layout and our current inventory. Have her evaluate what specialized medical rehab gear is needed... parallel bars, support harnesses, whatever she recommends, and order it all immediately. Money is no object."

"Understood, Chairman," Mikay answered without hesitation. "I’ll contact the top sports medicine institutes right away, coordinate with the lead specialist, and clear the purchase orders. I will send you a confirmation as soon as the invoices are finalized."

"Good. Keep me posted," Evren said, hanging up.

Evren slipped his phone into his pocket and walked back over to the couch. Amber and Zephyra were already helping Calista get comfortable, tucking a soft cashmere blanket over her legs.

"How are they feeling right now?" Evren asked gently.

"Tingling," Calista said, her lips curving with a soft smile. "Like thousands of tiny warm needles waking up under my skin. It’s not painful at all... just completely new."

"That’s the nerve channels adjusting to the blood flow," Evren explained. "Take it easy today. Let the muscles rest."

About ten minutes later, Evren’s phone vibrated with an incoming text from Director Mikay:

Chairman Evren: Retained Dr. Elena, Lead Specialist at District One Sports Medicine Institute. Gym specs forwarded. Per her medical evaluation, priority purchase orders placed for medical parallel bars, an anti-gravity rehab treadmill, and padded therapy mats. Express delivery and private retainer finalized at $1,000,000.00 USD. Payment disbursed from Apex operating reserves.

The moment the text arrived and the bank debit cleared, a familiar golden window chimed in Evren’s vision:

[DING!]

[HEROINE #3 INVESTMENT DETECTED: $1,000,000.00 USD (PRIVATE REHABILITATION & PHYSIOTHERAPY SUITE)]

[1,000x GLOBAL MULTIPLIER APPLIED!]

[REBATE RETURN: $1,000,000,000.00 USD (1 BILLION DOLLARS) DEPOSITED INTO SYSTEM SOVEREIGN VAULT!]

Evren closed the window with a quiet smile. He glanced at his watch; it was nearly noon.

He turned toward Amber and Zephyra.

"The military’s four-hour tactical rotation is still underway, but I should head back down to the Citadel," Evren said. "Walter and the other guild leaders are standing guard near the perimeter. I want to be on site while the technicians finish setting up the probe cluster."

Amber stepped closer, nodding in understanding. "Do you want Zephyra and me to come with you?"

"No, you two stay here with Calista," Evren replied, looking between them. "Keep her company, help her get settled, and make sure she rests. If anything unexpected happens at the rift, I’ll contact you through the bond immediately."

"We’ll take care of her," Zephyra promised, giving him a warm, reassuring smile. "Be careful out there, Master."

Evren gave Calista a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, then turned and walked back into the private elevator.