Chapter 192: Physiotherapy

Evren stepped out of the master bathroom, rubbing a clean towel through his damp dark hair.

He had spent the entire night down at the Citadel perimeter, standing watch with Walter, Kincaid, and the other guild masters in case the Sky Rift surged.

Fortunately, the night had remained completely quiet. With the morning sun rising over District One, Evren had slipped back to the Meridian Tower just to take a hot shower and change into fresh clothes.

He pulled on a clean black t-shirt and dark athletic pants. Just as he tossed the towel into the hamper, Amber’s voice chimed warmly inside his mind.

’Evren? You’re out of the shower?’

’Yeah, just finished,’ Evren answered through their telepathic link. ’Everything okay?’

’Better than okay,’ Amber replied, a smile clear in her mental tone. ’The private physiotherapist Mikay hired just arrived. She’s down on the seventy-fifth floor inspecting the rehab equipment she had delivered for the gym right now.’

Evren walked out into the penthouse living room.

Amber was already waiting by the private elevator alongside Zephyra, who was gently steering Calista’s magitech wheelchair toward the doors.

Calista wore comfortable gray training leggings and a soft hoodie, her silver hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Her silver eyes were bright with nervous excitement.

"Ready for your first session?" Evren asked, walking up with a smile.

"I think so," Calista murmured, her fingers tapping lightly against her thighs. "My legs felt warm all night. I could feel the sheets, the mattress... even the draft from the air vent. It still feels like a dream."

"It’s real," Evren said softly.

The four of them stepped into the elevator, and Evren pressed the button for Floor 75.

The doors slid open five floors down, leading directly into the sprawling private combat arena and gym suite.

As they walked onto the wide training floor, Evren’s eyes briefly swept over the reinforced sparring mats. Right beside him, Zephyra paused for a split second, her violet eyes meeting Evren’s.

A silent memory flashed between them... just two days ago, the two of them had spent hours right here in an intense, breathless private sparring session that left them both soaked in sweat.

Zephyra’s pale cheeks turned faintly pink. Evren gave her a subtle, knowing grin, and she quickly looked away, clearing her throat to hide her flustered expression.

Over near the mirrored wall, the delivery crew had already set up the new medical equipment. An anti-gravity treadmill stood beside thick padded therapy mats, and in the center were two polished steel parallel walking bars bolted securely to the floor.

A tall woman in a white athletic tracksuit stepped forward with a clipboard.

"Chairman Evren," the woman greeted with a polite bow. "I am Dr. Elena, chief physiotherapist from the District One Sports Medicine Institute. Director Mikay sent me your gym inventory yesterday, so I had our clinic’s priority team deliver the parallel bars, support harness, and anti-gravity treadmill first thing this morning."

"Good to meet you, Doctor," Evren replied. "Her spinal calcification was completely cleared, but her leg muscles haven’t been used in two years."

Dr. Elena knelt in front of Calista’s wheelchair, pulling out a small sensory hammer and diagnostic mana probe. She tapped gently against Calista’s knees and ankles, watching the immediate reflex twitches with rising awe.

"Incredible," Dr. Elena murmured, checking her tablet. "Nerve conduction is at one hundred percent. The pathways are entirely clear. But Chairman Evren is right; after two years of complete bed rest, the quadriceps and calf muscles have zero tone. We start slow."

Dr. Elena guided Calista’s wheelchair directly to the start of the parallel bars.

"Miss Calista, place your hands flat on the steel rails," Dr. Elena instructed gently. "Use your arms to take eighty percent of your body weight first. We just want to get your feet flat on the floor."

Calista took a deep breath. She gripped the cool steel bars with both hands.

Evren stepped right up beside her left side, while Amber and Zephyra watched closely with held breath.

"I’m right here with you," Evren said, placing a reassuring hand near her waist to catch her if she slipped.

Calista nodded. She set both bare feet flat against the textured rubber mat.

Pushing down firmly with her arms, Calista engaged her core muscles. She straightened her spine, took a shaky breath, and pushed downward through her feet.

Her knees trembled violently as her legs bore weight for the first time in two years. Her thighs shook from the sheer strain of gravity.

"You’ve got it," Evren encouraged softly. "Keep your weight centered."

Calista gritted her teeth. With a gasp, she locked her joints and pushed herself all the way up.

She stood.

Calista stood completely upright on her own two feet, her hands resting on the parallel bars.

She wasn’t sitting in a wheelchair. She wasn’t lying in a hospital bed. For the first time since the day she was poisoned, Calista was standing at full height, looking directly into Evren’s eyes at equal level.

Tears instantly spilled over her eyelashes, running down her flushed cheeks. A small, breathless sob escaped her lips.

"Evren..." she cried softly, looking down at her trembling feet on the mat. "I’m standing. I’m actually standing."

"You did it," Evren smiled.

"Now, Miss Calista," Dr. Elena said with a proud smile, keeping a close eye on her posture. "Shift your weight slightly to your left foot. Try to slide your right foot forward by just three inches."

Calista focused every ounce of her concentration. Her brow furrowed as she sent the mental command to her right leg.

Her right foot lifted an inch off the mat, shook with effort, and took a small, clean step forward. Then, she followed with her left.

Two real, independent steps.

Exhaustion hit her legs immediately, her knees trembling from the unfamiliar burn of lactic acid. Evren caught her smoothly before she could drop, scooping her into his arms and carrying her over to the padded therapy bench nearby.

Calista leaned against Evren’s chest, panting softly with a bright, radiant smile on her face. Amber and Zephyra walked over, both of them clapping quietly with misty eyes.

Dr. Elena pulled over a stool, uncapped a soothing cooling gel, and spent another ten minutes gently massaging Calista’s trembling calves and thighs to work out the tight knots and prevent severe muscle cramps.

Calista let out a long, contented sigh as the tension melted away.

"That was amazing for a first attempt," Dr. Elena said, standing up and jotting down notes on her clipboard. "With daily massage therapy combined with sessions on the bars and the anti-gravity harness, she will be walking unassisted within ten days."

"Thank you, Doctor," Evren said.

Dr. Elena packed her diagnostic tools, gave a respectful bow to the group, and took the elevator down to let Calista rest.

Zephyra handed Calista a bottle of cool water. Calista took several sips, leaning back against the bench cushions, her chest rising and falling as her leg muscles slowly cooled down.

"Once I can walk properly," Calista said quietly, looking up at Evren, "I want to get Starlight Pharmaceuticals up and running. We have the biotech facility already, so it’s straight to preparing for production."

Amber folded her arms, shaking her head gently. "That facility is a great asset, Calista, but the city is in a tough spot right now. District One and the surrounding sectors are under a Level Four defense lockdown because of the Sky Rift. All civilian freight trucks and industrial factory shipments are frozen by city decree."

"Amber is right," Evren agreed, sitting down on the bench beside Calista. "Moving heavy alchemy cauldrons, glass reflux distillation towers, and bulk raw herbs from regional warehouses is strictly blocked until the defense alert drops."

Calista’s shoulders slumped slightly with disappointment. "So we have to wait?"

"Not entirely," Evren smiled, tapping her chin gently. "Apex holds top-tier priority status with Grand Arbiter Kincaid and the Imperial Defense Division. I’ll have Director Mikay submit our equipment blueprints to the military logistics board today. We’ll lock in advance purchase orders and register our delivery convoys for emergency defense clearance."

Calista’s eyes lit back up. "So the second the lockdown lifts..."

"Our trucks roll in first," Evren finished. "You’ll have your entire distillation line installed before anyone else even gets their paperwork stamped."

A happy laugh burst from Calista’s lips, her face glowing with pure relief.

Before anyone could say another word, Evren’s phone buzzed violently in his pocket.

He pulled out the phone. The caller ID flashed in bold red letters:

GRAND ARBITER RAYMOND KINCAID — CITADEL TACTICAL COMMAND

Evren answered and brought the phone to his ear. "Chairman Evren speaking."

Kincaid’s deep voice came through the speaker. "Evren, get to the Citadel command bunker right now. The twelve-probe cluster just finished its deep triangulation of the interior pocket dimension."

Evren’s expression sharpened instantly. "What did the probes find?"

"The void beasts didn’t retreat to hide," Kincaid replied grimly over the line. "They are willingly sacrificing themselves inside a colossal hatching cocoon at the center of the rift... and the emergence timer has officially started."